- India,
- 17-Jun-2026 05:25 PM IST
Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan has once again established his dominance in international cricket with a stellar performance. During the second ODI match against Afghanistan held at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, Ishan Kishan displayed explosive batting to score a magnificent century. This mark's his second century in International ODI cricket, and this performance has announced his powerful comeback into Team India. The left-handed batsman looked in sublime touch from the beginning, taking the Afghan bowling attack to the cleaners and proving his mettle on the big stage once again.
A Rapid Century After a Long Wait
In this high-stakes encounter, Ishan Kishan appeared in a very aggressive mood. He relentlessly attacked the Afghan bowlers and completed his century in just 71 balls. The most striking aspect of his innings was the shift in gears after reaching his half-century. Ishan accelerated Importantly and moved from the 50-run mark to the 100-run milestone in a mere 19 balls. Before this match, Ishan Kishan had only one ODI century to his name, which was a historic double century of 210 runs scored against Bangladesh in 2022. This latest ton ends a long wait of 4 years for him to reach the three-figure mark in this format, as per the records highlighted during the match.
Record-Breaking Stats and Milestones
During this match, Ishan Kishan played an innings of 125 runs while facing 79 balls. His knock was decorated with 14 boundaries and 7 massive sixes, leaving the opposition with no answers. Along with the century, Ishan Kishan achieved another major milestone in his ODI career by completing 1,000 runs in ODI cricket. Kishan reached this landmark in just 26 innings, which places him among the elite list of selected Indian batsmen who have reached the 1,000-run mark the fastest. His ability to maintain a high strike rate while scoring big runs has once again made him a vital asset for the national side.
The Journey of Redemption and Comeback
The current year has been quite remarkable for Ishan Kishan, especially considering the challenges he faced recently. After the year 2023, Ishan was dropped from the Indian team and subsequently lost his central contract. However, he didn't lose hope and made a strong comeback by performing exceptionally well in domestic cricket. Before the T20 World Cup 2026, he made his return to the T20 squad and played a crucial role in helping India win the T20 World Cup. Now, with the Afghanistan series, he has made his return to the ODI format and immediately struck a century, while this signifies that his comeback in both formats has been incredibly strong, effectively completing his quest for redemption and proving his critics wrong with his bat.
