T20 WC warm-ups: Ishan Kishan smashes blistering half-century as opener
What's the story
India went in with Ishan Kishan as the second opener, along with Abhishek Sharma, for their 2026 ICC T20 World Cup warm-up match against South Africa. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav named Kishan the opener after winning the toss at DY Patil Stadium. And the latter, who replaced the out-of-form Sanju Samson, immediately made a mark with a blistering half-century.
Knock
Kishan hammers SA in Navi Mumbai
Kishan, who took strike, smacked 2 sixes in the first over itself, off Lungi Ngidi. He came out all guns blazing, having smacked Anrich Nortje for 3 sixes thereafter. In the sixth over, the left-handed dasher reached his 23-ball half-century with another maximum off Kwena Maphaka. However, skipper Suryakumar called him back right after this to give others game time. Kishan retired out for a 20-ball 53 (2 fours and 7 sixes).
Comeback story
Kishan's surprising comeback
Once a promising talent in India's cricketing circuit, Kishan fell out of favor with the national team in late 2023 after taking a break. However, his stellar form in domestic cricket helped him make an incredible comeback. He was named as the backup wicketkeeper-batter for the T20 World Cup and returned to the squad for the recent New Zealand series after Tilak Varma's injury.
Stellar return
Kishan proves his mettle
Kishan made the most of his second chance, scoring 215 runs from four matches against New Zealand at a strike rate of 231.20 at No. 3. This included a match-winning century in the last T20I in Thiruvananthapuram. Meanwhile, Samson struggled for form, scoring 46 runs across five innings with a strike rate of 135.30. Therefore, India picked Kishan as their opener for the warm-up match, suggesting a shift in their strategy.
Information
India's T20 World Cup campaign
India's 2026 T20 World Cup campaign will start on February 7 with a match against the USA. The team is high on confidence after a 4-1 series win over New Zealand at home. The warm-up match against SA was their final preparation for the tournament.