India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan put up an exemplary display of his hitting prowess to register his maiden century in the shortest format during the IND vs NZ 5th T20I. Kishan, who made a comeback to the Indian squad for the series against the Kiwis and the T20 World Cup 2026, made a strong claim to secure a place in the India Playing XI at the ICC event.
Ishan’s knock was absolutely explosive, where he managed to smack 29 runs in one over off Ish Sodhi and racked up a total of 84 runs off boundaries – courtesy of a staggering 10 maximums and four fours to finish on 103(43). His heroics also propelled India to a towering total of 271/5 in 20 overs – their third highest in the format.
Following the milestone, Ishan Kishan could be seen absolutely charged up and got hugged by Hardik Pandya in the middle. It was a strong statement from the dynamic left-hander, who was once dropped from the Indian team and has now made a resounding return. He has also slammed a fifty earlier in the series.
Originally included as a backup for Sanju Samson, Ishan could very well now be in the queue for a spot in the playing XI given his current form and Samson’s lean patch.
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An ISHANDAAR Blockbuster! 🙌
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 31, 2026
✅ 1st T20I century
✅ 1000 runs in T20Is
✅ 6000 runs in T20s
✅ 10 sixes in the innings #IshanKishan with a statement knock just 7 days before the ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup begins! 🤩#INDvNZ 5th T20I 👉 LIVE NOW ➡️ https://t.co/7DIDSDu12k pic.twitter.com/c3n77mmcR1
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