Ishan Kishan The left-handed batsman blasted 103 runs off 43 deliveries, including 10 sixes and six fours, as India beat New Zealand by 46 runs in the fifth T20I at Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, January 31. This is his first T20I ton.

Kishan ended the series with 232 runs in four innings, including 76 off 32 balls in the second T20I. The 27-year-old peaked during his best spell with the Men in Blue ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup when he was in a weak position with the bat. Sanzhou Samson. The player from Jharkhand is now the favorite to be the first-choice wicketkeeper in the ICC event as India begins their series against the United States in Mumbai on Saturday, February 7.

Several former cricketers including Sunil Gavaskarpraising Ishan Kishan’s first T20I 100. Please see below:

Sunil Gavaskar

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said Ishan Kishan cannot be dropped from the 2026 T20 World Cup after hitting a century against the Black Caps. The 76-year-old wants Kishan to take the lead over Sanju Samson in ICC events. He told JioStar during the post-match show (via new delhi tv):

“I thought the selection committee was pretty straightforward and gave Sanju Samson every chance. But now, with Ishan Kishan playing a few innings here and Tilak Varma possibly coming back, the batting order looks certain.

“It was really difficult to drop him. For whom? Tilak Varma is a proven player at this level. Sanju Samson is also a proven player but he is not in form. It has nothing to do with his ability. In a tournament like the World Cup, you can’t take risks.”

Ashwin

legendary indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin Ishan Kishan is thought to be twice as good on his return as he was before the 2026 T20 World Cup. The cricketer-turned-analyst gave a statement to his ton ahead of the International Cricket Federation event. He said in his YouTube channel:

“It’s not a knock, it’s a statement. He’s asking, ‘I’m going to the World Cup, how many of you are going to be with me?’ That’s the question he’s asking the selectors and the team management.

“If anyone asked Ishan when he was leaving the team, he could proudly say, ‘I’m sharpening my sword’. The way he came back, it didn’t look like a real comeback. He was with me in the 2023 World Cup squad, but he found himself left out of the squad. He came back twice as good as the player he was. There was no lack of confidence and range. The batting he played was unbelievable. Unbelievable is not a compliment enough.”

Ashwin further defended Kishan for his shaky wicketkeeping in the only encounter behind the stumps in the series. He said:

“Ishan is one of the best glovemen in India. Maybe this is a game where wickets have been kept for a long time. He has not kept many wickets for Varun Chakaravarthy. All these things can happen and it could be a surprise for him. Let’s not judge him by this game. He is a good wicketkeeper.”

Chris Srikanth

Former India cricketer Kris Srikkanth praised Ishan Kishan for his clarity with the bat, adding that he took the opponents out of the game. He pointed out that after Kishan, the Indian team now has another strong player. Abhishek Sharma. The 1983 World Cup winner talks about his YouTube channel:

“It’s not just dominance, it’s devastating. We saw him score a couple of runs in his comeback games. Hit 10 sixes instead of one or two, which is unbelievable. It doesn’t seem to matter to him whether he’s a medium-pacer or a spinner. What I like about him is that he doesn’t think twice about hitting the ball. He hits the ball without question.

He continued:

“The 12th match against Ish Sodhi was the most important one. Sodhi must have thought I could stay in New Zealand. You think of the way Kishan smashed them, whether it was a code number or a phone number. He knocked them down and the game was over right there. He put the team in a dominant position.

“It was Kishan’s knock, with the support of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, that the score soared to 270+. 270 was always out of reach for any opponent. Now it became like if it wasn’t Abhishek Sharma, it was Ishan Kishan. Kishan’s knock was breathtaking, especially some of the shots he bowled were indescribable. No other team had a batsman like him,” Srikkanth added.

Akash Chopra

Aakash Chopra thinks Ishan Kishan’s comeback is written on the stars This follows his impressive performance in the fifth T20I against New Zealand. The former opener further praised him for focusing on scoring runs rather than achieving personal milestones. He said on his YouTube channel:

“From absolutely any conversation, you were part of the eleven and then Sanju was going through a bad period and Ishan Kishan was flying. So, if you believe in the stars, it’s written in the stars.

“Absolutely brilliant and it actually gives you an idea of ​​the mentality of a modern Indian batsman as well. This guy has been like that ever since his comeback. He is not thinking about personal milestones but trying to maximize every delivery he faces,” he added.

Irrfan Pathan

former indian allrounder praised the selectors Credit to him for bringing back Ishan Kishan ahead of the T20 World Cup. The cricketer-turned-commentator further expressed his joy over Kishan’s knock of 29 Ish Sodhi At the end of one. While praising him for taking up the gloves after his power-packed century, he said on his YouTube channel:

“The selectors deserve credit for bringing back Ishan Kishan when he was doing well domestically. They deserve credit because it’s not easy because you drop a player like Shubman Gill and then you pick Kishan who has done well in domestic cricket. He took advantage of the opportunity and made it work. When these things happen, everything goes well for Kishan and the selectors deserve the same praise.

He continued:

“The way Kishan batted, especially Ish Sodhi, who scored 29 runs in one over, he was completely outclassed by a senior bowler who has done well in the New Zealand team. Kishan did a lot of work in the off-side game and that was noticeable.

“His fitness is also worth watching as he keeps wickets after scoring big runs and has a chance to peak at the right time. Kishan told the selectors not to bench him even though Tilak Varma is back. This also means batting at the top will not be an issue for Kishan. It will be interesting to see how he bats on slow wickets in the off side. But it seems impossible to stop Kishan on a flat pitch and the ball can hit the bat well.”

Ishan Kishan will next be seen in Action Suryakumar YadavAhead of the T20 World Cup on February 4, the Indian team will play a practice match against South Africa.