Incredible Indian batsman Ishan Kishan continued his stellar form during the fifth T20 match against New Zealand, successfully breaking a major record held by former captain Suryakumar Yadav. During the final encounter of the five-match T20 series between India and New Zealand, Ishan Kishan showcased his batting brilliance by playing a magnificent knock of sixty-one runs from thirty-two balls, a feat that allowed him to surpass Suryakumar Yadav. Ishan Kishan, who remained out of the Team India squad for a long time, made a triumphant return following stellar performances in domestic cricket in the year 2026. Grabbing this opportunity with both hands, he cemented his place in the team with several match-winning knocks. Now, Ishan Kishan has become the player with the most runs for India in T20 Internationals in a single calendar year, officially breaking the record previously held by Suryakumar Yadav.
After playing the opening match of the T20 series against New Zealand, Ishan Kishan was forced to sit out the next two games due to a lack of complete fitness. Although he made a comeback in the fourth match, he failed to make a significant impact with the bat. However, when Ishan Kishan came out to bat as early as the second over in the fifth match, he anchored the innings from one end and accelerated alongside captain Iyer after he joined the crease. Ishan Kishan brought up his half-century in just twenty-eight balls during this match, finishing with a brilliant score of sixty-one runs from thirty-two deliveries, while consequently, Ishan Kishan surpassed Suryakumar Yadav on the list of most runs scored by an Indian batter in T20 Internationals in a single calendar year, aggregating a total of one thousand two hundred twenty runs so far in the year 2026, whereas Suryakumar Yadav had scored one thousand one hundred sixty-four runs in the year 2022.
Most Runs in a Calendar Year in T20 Internationals by Indian Players
- Ishan Kishan - One thousand two hundred twenty runs (Year 2026)
- Suryakumar Yadav - One thousand one hundred sixty-four runs (Year 2022)
- Abhishek Sharma - One thousand one hundred fifty-three runs (Year 2026)
- Abhishek Sharma - Eight hundred fifty-nine runs (Year 2025)
- Sanju Samson - Eight hundred ten runs (Year 2026)
On the back of his sixty-one-run knock in the fifth T20 match against New Zealand, Ishan Kishan also completed his two thousand runs in T20 Internationals. With this milestone, Ishan has become the third-fastest Indian in terms of balls faced to complete two thousand runs, achieving the landmark in one thousand three hundred forty-five balls, while abhishek Sharma tops this list, having reached the milestone in one thousand twenty-four balls, while Suryakumar Yadav occupies the second spot, having taken one thousand one hundred sixty-four balls. This milestone marks a remarkable chapter in Ishan Kishan's career, emphasizing his dedication, resilience, and phenomenal growth after returning from domestic cricket to dominate international bowling attacks.