India batter Ishan Kishan revealed that he is not entirely satisfied with his remarkable comeback to Team India in the New Zealand series and has set his sights firmly on winning the T20 World Cup in 2026. Kishan scored his maiden T20I century when he played a breathtaking innings of 103 off 43 balls in the fifth T20I on Saturday, January 31, at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
Kishan smashed six fours and ten sixes during his innings, bringing up his hundred off just 42 balls and helping India post a massive total of 271/5 in their 20 overs. As India went on to win the match by 46 runs, Kishan was deservedly adjudged the Player of the Match for his outstanding performance.
Despite his impressive comeback to the Indian team, Kishan stated that it meant little to him, as his primary focus remains the T20 World Cup in 2026.
“It is satisfying, of course, but I still feel I am not there yet. I have done well and received these awards, but my main focus is on the World Cup. That is where the extra effort will be required. What is important is that we continue this form going forward,” Kishan said during the post-match presentation.
Kishan was also asked about not slowing down while approaching his century, to which the batter replied that it is the team’s philosophy not to chase personal milestones and instead go for big hits whenever the ball is in the slot.
“That is the plan nowadays for each and every player in our team. Even if you are close to a milestone, it doesn’t really matter. If you start taking singles in those overs, you feel later that you could have gone bigger, and that makes a huge difference. If the ball is there to be hit, you have to go for it. You shouldn’t think about milestones, but focus on winning matches,” he added.
Ishan Kishan’s remarkable comeback
Kishan did not have a memorable start to the series, as he made his comeback to Team India after more than two years and was dismissed for 8 (5) in the first T20I. However, he staged a remarkable turnaround in the second fixture, playing a match-winning knock of 76 (32), which helped India chase down 209 in just 15.2 overs.
The southpaw eventually finished the series on a high with a memorable century and accumulated 215 runs from four innings at an average of 53.75 and a strike rate of 231.18. Having impressed against New Zealand, Kishan has significantly strengthened his case to be a regular starter in India’s playing XI for the upcoming T20 World Cup, where he could even be promoted to open the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma, especially in light of Sanju Samson’s poor form.
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