Ishan Kishan: Dissecting his T20 stats at number three
What's the story
Ahead of the first T20I against New Zealand, India captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that Ishan Kishan will bat at No. 3. The decision comes after Tilak Varma was ruled out of the first three matches of the series. Kishan's inclusion is a reward for his stunning performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he scored 517 runs in 10 matches. Notably, Kishan hasn't played for India since November 2023. Here we decode his T20 stats at number three.
Numbers
An average of 26.91 at number three
Kishan has not really been exceptional at number three. As per ESPNcricinfo, he has tallied 646 runs across 26 innings in this regard at an average of 26.91. Notably, the southpaw averages 28-plus each while opening and operating at number four in the format. Kishan has batteed with a decent strike rate of 137.15 at three. He has tallied five 50-plus scores at the position, including the hundred (106*) for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Information
T20I stats at number three
Across four T20Is playing at No. 3, Kishan has scored 114 runs at an average of 28.50 with two fifties. His strike rate reads 134.11. Overall, in the T20I format, the wicketkeeper-batter has scored 796 runs from 32 T20Is at an average of 25.67. He has also scored six half-centuries during this time. His career strike rate reads 124.37.
SMAT 2025
Sensational numbers in SMAT
As mentioned, Kishan earned the well-deserved call-up after a sensational SMAT campaign while leading Jharkhand. The batter's scores in the tourney read 27, 15, 113*, 93, 21, 2, 47, 63, 35, and 101. He was the only batter to smash 500 runs in the season. As per ESPNcricinfo, Kishan hammered 517 runs at an average of 57.44. He struck at an impressive 197.32.