Ishan Kishan in Indian jersey (Source: AFP)Since his exclusion from the Indian setup and the loss of his BCCI central contract, Ishan Kishan has worked his way back through domestic cricket.Once again, the star Indian cricketer, Ishan Kishan, scored 270 in the Duleep Trophy 2026 final for East Zone against South Zone, batting through the day, despite suffering from cramps.The knock is among the most significant domestic innings the wicketkeeper-batter has produced and arrives at a moment when he is actively seeking a return to the India Test side. Safe to say, Ishan Kishan has turned every opportunity into a statement since his credibility was last called into question.That being said, in this article, let’s dive deeper into Ishan Kishan’s comeback story. December 2023: Dropped from Test squadIt was in December 2023 when Ishan Kishan had asked for a break from the BCCI selectors, citing “personal reasons”. Kishan was part of the India Test squad during the South Africa tour but pulled out due to “mental fatigue”.Later on, he also did not make the Test squad for the series against England. When asked about the same, former India coach Rahul Dravid said that he didn’t make himself available. Moreover, he didn’t play some kind of domestic cricket to be eligible for a comeback.On top of that, at that time, Ishan was not even a regular name in either T20Is or ODIs. Notably, back in January 2023, he was left out of India’s starting lineup for the next ODI against Sri Lanka, just a month after scoring a fast double century against Bangladesh.February 2024: BCCI central contract omissionA couple of months later, in February 2024, Ishan Kishan was dropped from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) central contracts initially due to his reluctance to play domestic first-class cricket.Also read: Ishan Kishan Takes Brutal Swipe At BCCI Over Packed ScheduleOn top of that, he remained excluded from the subsequent contract cycle, 2025–26, because he did not play a single international match during the relevant qualification window.December 2025: Led Jharkhand to first-ever SMAT titleAfter a tumultuous couple of years, Ishan Kishan finally broke into the ranks, leading his domestic side, Jharkhand, to its maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) title in December 2025.Riding on captain Ishan’s power-packed century, Jharkhand steamrolled Haryana by 69 runs.To culminate a stellar SMAT 2025 campaign, where he scored 517 runs in 10 innings, Ishan led from the front, delivering a 101-run knock. January 2026: Return to India’s T20 squadThanks to his exploits, with 517 runs at an average of 57.44 and a strike rate of over 197, Ishan Kishan returned to the Indian fold. Though with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson already in the mix, Ishan’s comeback was almost as improbable as his exit.Having last played for India back in December 2023, Ishan Kishan made a triumphant T20I comeback in January 2026 after a two-year hiatus during the T20I series against New Zealand.He grabbed the opportunity with both hands, scoring a strong 76 in the second T20I of the series. Eventually, he finished the series with 215 runs in 4 games, the second-highest behind former Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav.February-March 2026: Fourth-most runs in 2026 T20 World CupThe left-handed batter, on the back of his performances against New Zealand, earned a spot in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026.Kishan also played a vital role in powering the Men in Blue to glory, winning the historic back-to-back T20 WC titles. He finished as the fourth-highest run-getter, having smashed 317 runs across nine innings.His tally averaged 35.22 and a strike rate of 193.29, with 18 sixes. He clocked three fifties, including a 25-ball 54 against New Zealand in the final. Notably, he became the first left-handed batter to clock over 300 runs in a single T20 World Cup edition.IPL 2026: Best IPL season ever (602 runs, 182.4 SR)Ishan Kishan was asked to captain Sunrisers Hyderabad as the interim captain for the first half of the IPL 2026 season, in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins.During the same time, Ishan also received his ODI comeback call against Afghanistan, marking the end of a nearly three-year absence. Though his individual numbers were just decent, under his early leadership, SRH put up strong performances.Lastly, in terms of runs scored, Kishan enjoyed his best IPL season in 2026. He amassed 602 runs from 15 games at an average of 40.13. The Sunrisers Hyderabad star finished the tournament as the sixth-highest run-getter.July 2026: No. 1 T20I batterIshan Kishan’s comeback story reached its highest point when he climbed to the top of the ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings for the first time in his career on July 1, 2026.Also read: Ishan Kishan Dethrones Abhishek Sharma To Become No 1 T20I BatterNotably, Ishan ended Abhishek Sharma’s 11-month reign at the summit, following India’s 2-match T20I series against Ireland. August-September 2026: Led East Zone to the Duleep Trophy finalBefore the final against South Zone, Kishan had only scored a total of 59 runs across 3 innings in the 2026 Duleep Trophy. His highest till then, an unbeaten 39*, came during a tight run-chase in the semi-final against Central Zone, which helped guide East Zone into their first Duleep Trophy final in 13 years.Though he didn’t have a bundle of runs to back him, his captaincy leading into the final has been commendable, highlighted by smart rotation of bowlers and aggressive fielding.Apart from that, he once also used Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s off-spin against North East in the quarter-final in pursuit of crucial breakthroughs. In return, Sooryavanshi scalped 2 wickets in four balls, to change the course of the innings.September 7, 2026: Double century in Duleep Trophy 2026 finalIshan Kishan’s 270 gave East Zone a substantial advantage in the Duleep Trophy 2026 final. By refusing to declare after he retired hurt, the team management signalled that they wanted to push their total even higher before handing the ball to their bowlers.Ishan’s ability to bat through a full day’s play in a final in Chennai’s hot and humid conditions also speaks of his physical conditioning and concentration. Both are qualities that matter when a player is attempting to re-establish himself at the highest level of the game.Also read - Mohammed Siraj Under Fire: Replacements Who Can Take His Place In Test Team
