The Jharkhand state team was in Kalyani earlier in September for three pre-season red-ball games against Bengal. One of those days, head coach Ratan Kumar got a phone call — on the other side was out-of-favour of Team India, Ishan Kishan.
An ankle injury had sidelined Ishan from the Duleep Trophy, where he was supposed to lead the East Zone, a significant competition for him. The Jharkhand coach sensed the urgency in Ishan’s voice when he expressed his willingness to be a part of the pre-season games in Bengal.
Taking little time to join the squad, an eager Ishan ensured to feature in the next two pre-season matches. Since then, he made sure to be there for as many games as possible for the state team, with runs too freely flowing from his bat.
In three Ranji Trophy appearances so far this season, Ishan aggregates 246 runs, averaging 82. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign, thereafter, couldn’t have been any better for the 27-year-old as he led from the front for Jharkhand’s maiden national T20 crown, registering himself as the highest run-scorer (517) in the competition.
The effort put in at nets, being more disciplined and maintaining consistency paved the way for Ishan’s India comeback in over two years.
A comeback he certainly treasures as it’s a berth in India’s 2026 T20 World Cup squad, something which barely looked possible even a month ago. But now, he is also being looked at as a potential opener, instead of Shubman Gill, who has not been included in the 15-man squad.
“My fight wouldn’t have stopped till I found my way back into the Indian team,” Ishan, who has two Tests, 27 ODIs and 32 T20Is under his belt so far, said. “Now that I’m back, I’ll try and make the best use of the opportunities.”
In all fairness, Ishan has been sincere about the task he needed to accomplish to stay in the reckoning for Team India. His task was to score runs, which he did and in matches that mattered.
“He wants to play as many games as possible. That’s his approach now,” Jharkhand coach Ratan emphasised.
“Unless there’s a sudden call-up from the Indian team management, he should be playing the entire Vijay Hazare Trophy.”
What makes Ishan’s comeback special is he didn’t have an easy path before him. His removal from the BCCI central contracts last year had made it anything but smooth for the Jharkhand captain. Before that, he skipped the final-round matches of Ranji Trophy, which didn’t go down well with the Board.
But crucial nets sessions and constant interactions with coach Ratan started bringing about a change in him. “It was due to an injury that he couldn’t play those final Ranji matches (in 2023-24).
“But then, he ensured to get on with his hard work from the 2024-25 season, as we had some rigorous nets sessions. I was the batting coach (of Jharkhand) then. I could figure out his determination, and he just banked on that,” Ratan recalled.
Off-side play
Having predominantly been a strokemaker on the leg side, strengthening his game on the off side was also a box Ishan ticked off, with coach Ratan’s support, as well as that |
from Jharkhand U-23 head coach Ishank Jaggi. It was before this year’s IPL (with Sunrisers Hyderabad) when he had a session or two with the former Jharkhand top-order batsman to improve his off-side strokeplay.
“Getting better on the off side has added to Ishan’s range of strokes,” Jaggi said.
“Following hours of practice, he’s much better now on the off side, which his runs in the recent matches underline,” Ratan added. “After all, Ishan is a player with an ODI double century (210 versus Bangladesh in Chittagong in December 2022), and he couldn’t be out for too long.”