Nagpur T20I: Ishan Kishan falters after fine start on comeback
What's the story
Top-order batter Ishan Kishan made his much-awaited comeback in international cricket on January 21. Ishan, playing first international since November 2023, batted at No. 3 for India in the 1st T20I against New Zealand. The left-handed batter started strong with two boundaries. However, Jacob Duffy dismissed him in the third over. India, who were invited to bat, slumped to 27/2 with Ishan's dismissal.
Knock
Ishan falls with a soft dismissal
Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson took India off to a sturdy start. However, the latter departed with a soft dismissal in the second over. This exposed Ishan, who started with a lofted straight drive. The next over saw him score another boundary off Duffy. However, Ishan chipped one straight to the cover fielder on the final ball. He departed for a 5-ball 8.
Comeback
What led to Ishan's comeback?
Ahead of the series opener, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav announced that Ishan will be batting at the crucial No. 3 position. The latter was earlier the highest run-scorer in the 2025/26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He hammered 517 runs from 10 matches at 57.44 (SR: 197.32). Leading Jharkhand to the title, he hit two centuries, including one in the final against Haryana.