Ishan Kishan’s career appeared to be at a crossroads when he went from being an all-format India player to losing his place in the team and eventually his BCCI central contract. Nearly two years later, the wicketkeeper-batter has found a different route back, and his latest statement of intent came with a monumental 270 in the Duleep Trophy final.
Leading East Zone against South Zone, Kishan produced the kind of innings that reflected a significant shift in his approach. He said he has stopped overthinking and worrying about expectations, instead narrowing his focus to the one thing that can ultimately keep his career moving forward: scoring runs.
“I didn’t actively try to change myself. It just happened naturally,” Kishan said after the day’s play. “When I was out of the squad, I realised that we ultimately only have one job to do: simply to score runs.”
The change has been visible in his return to domestic cricket. After a turbulent phase that saw him lose his BCCI contract and his place in India’s white-ball sides, Kishan went back to the grind. He scored centuries in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy and played a key role in Jharkhand’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy triumph, finishing the tournament with 517 runs including two hundreds.
Those performances eventually earned him a BCCI contract and a return to India’s white-ball setup. Yet Kishan’s domestic journey has continued to play an important role in rebuilding his game.
Before arriving for the Duleep Trophy, he had been playing white-ball cricket, making the switch to the longer format a challenge. He revealed that he had trained at the BCCI Centre of Excellence specifically with the red ball before joining East Zone.
The adjustment was necessary. Regular T20 cricket can encourage batters to play a wider range of shots, something Kishan admitted happened during his first Duleep Trophy innings against North East Zone.
The final, however, showed a batter operating with greater control and clarity. His 270 was not merely a huge score, but another indication of how far his mindset has moved from the uncertainty of his difficult period.
Kishan also found value in the relative quiet of domestic cricket, away from the constant attention that accompanies international cricket. Rather than seeing that environment as a setback, he said he enjoyed the experience because it gave him time to reflect on his game.
For a player who once seemed destined to become a regular fixture in India’s white-ball teams, the road back has involved leadership, domestic runs and a reset in mindset. His Duleep Trophy double century now gives Kishan another significant milestone in a redemption story that is still being written.
