India National Cricket Team batter Ishan Kishan is making a strong comeback to the domestic circuit. The keeper-batter slammed a magnificent century while playing for Jharkhand against Railways in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25 game at ADSA Railways Cricket Ground.
Kishan, who has been out of the Indian team set-up due to the issues over playing the domestic circuit with BCCI, is again making his case strong for the India comeback. The swashbuckling batter has been proving his batting prowess yet again and in difficult situations.
Ishan Kishan thrives under pressure
In the ongoing game against Railways, Jharkhand was under pressure. They lost 4 quick wickets and it was then when Ishan Kishan soaked in all the pressure. The keeper-batter, who has been going through a decent run of form, made sure he continues doing and bails his team out of trouble.
Kishan joined hands with Virat Singh, who also slammed the century for the team. The duo added a 174-run partnership for the fifth wicket and took Jharkhand to the 300-run mark. The keeper-batter batted in his usual aggressive way and raced away to his half-century and, after that, didn’t look back.
Ishan Kishan slams 101 runs from just 158 balls
Kishan, after that, slammed a magnificent century on his first innings in the Ranji Trophy. The keeper-batter smashed 101 runs from just 158 balls, including 13 fours and 2 sixes, and sent a rousing statement to the selectors ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. His century came at a time when Rishabh Pant faced injury in the ongoing Test against New Zealand.
Thanks to the blistering innings by Ishan Kishan, Jharkhand had a solid day with the bat after a shaky start. His knock powered his team to 325 for five at stumps. The knock surely would’ve given him a lot of confidence heading into the domestic season in India.
Ishan Kishan made a domestic return for Jharkhand in the Buchi Babu tournament
Kishan, who opted out of cricket due to personal reasons, made a return to domestic cricket for Jharkhand in the Buchi Babu tournament. He made a staggering comeback as he hit a blistering century. He continued his golden touch even in the Duleep Trophy.
The left-hander played for India C and also registered a ton there as well before turning up for the Rest Of India in the Irani Cup. He would be keen to make an impact for his team in the Ranji Trophy along with the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and make his case strong for the India comeback.
Kishan last played for the Indian team in the South Africa T20Is last year. He was a permanent member of the team in all three formats in 2023. But on the same tour, he opted out of the team during the Test series against South Africa, which was played in December last year. He was asked to play the domestic circuit but he didn’t which led to BCCI terminating him from the annual contract list.
Pant will join Sarfaraz Khan in the middle for the first ball on Day 4. Sarfaraz was unbeaten on 70 as Virat Kohli was dismissed off the last ball before stumps on Day 3.
Kohli was batting on 70 before Glenn Phillips got the better of him, leaving everyone inside the stadium, including India captain Rohit Sharma, stunned.
Kohli, who batted at No. 3 for the second time in this Test, turned the tables after being dismissed for a duck in the first innings.
Prior to this match, Kohli had last batted at No. 3 in 2016 and had a modest average of 19.40 in that position. However, he showcased his class in the second innings, notching up his first Test half-century since December 2023. Alongside Sarfaraz Khan, Kohli forged a crucial partnership of 136 runs that revived India’s innings.
Needing 53 runs to surpass the 9,000-run mark, Kohli reached his half-century off 70 balls, featuring five boundaries and a majestic six off Ajaz Patel. He then carefully accumulated the additional three runs needed to reach the milestone, taking a further nine balls.
Kohli became the 18th player to score 9,000 runs in Test cricket and joined Joe Root and Steve Smith as the only active players in this exclusive club. He also became the fourth Indian to achieve this feat, following in the footsteps of Sachin Tendulkar.