Tracking Ishan Kishan’s ODI career: India wicket-keeper stages dream comeback after three years, crosses 1000 runs in ODIs

Tracking Ishan Kishan’s ODI career: India wicket-keeper stages dream comeback after three years, crosses 1000 runs in ODIs originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Ishan Kishan scored 125 off 79 balls in the 2nd ODI against Afghanistan in Lucknow on June 17, marking his first ODI century since his 210 against Bangladesh in December 2022.
• Kishan crossed 1,000 ODI runs during the innings, becoming the sixth-fastest Indian to reach the milestone in 26 innings.
• The knock marked his return to the ICT after losing his BCCI central contract after an absence of three years.

Just how good has Ishan Kishan been in ODI format?

Three years is a long time in cricket, and few players experience the extremes Ishan Kishan has. Stripped of his BCCI central contract and out of the national setup since October 2023, the left-handed wicket-keeper returned to India’s ODI fold in June 2026 with something to prove.

His absence spanned two years and eight months, covering a break for mental health, domestic redemption across the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Duleep Trophy, and SMAT, and a T20 World Cup 2026 triumph before selectors finally recalled him for India’s home ODI series against Afghanistan.

Kishan made a quiet 34 in the rain-hit 1st ODI in Dharamsala. The 2nd ODI in Lucknow on June 17 was a different story, producing 125 off 79 balls, his century coming in 71 balls alongside captain Shubman Gill as the pair powered India to a 400-plus total.

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Ishan Kishan’s 125 against Afghanistan carries extra weight

During the knock, Kishan became the sixth-fastest Indian to reach 1,000 ODI runs, achieving it in 26 innings.

The milestone landed at a moment when his place in the white-ball setup was still being re-established, giving it a significance that numbers alone do not fully capture.

His partnership with Gill was built on timing and intent. Kishan accelerated from a measured fifty, reaching his century in 71 balls in a manner that recalled his most destructive white-ball performances. He was eventually caught at deep midwicket for 125, attempting one shot too many in the 37th over.

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Ishan Kishan’s ODI form before getting dropped in 2023

Kishan’s final ten ODI innings before losing his place in 2023 tell the story of a player with consistent output but no defining innings at the right time. Three consecutive scores above fifty in August-September were undermined by failures against Australia in the crucial lead-up to the World Cup.

The 82 against Pakistan in Pallekele was the standout of the pre-drop period, but what sealed Kishan’s fate were five consecutive scores of 5, 23*, 18, 31, and 0 against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Australia at the critical stage of the 2023 World Cup cycle.

Ishan Kishan’s overall ODI career stats

Kishan’s ODI numbers across 29 appearances reflect a batter who scores at volume when given an opportunity. An average of 45.5 is strong for a wicket-keeper-batter, and his tally of 1,092 runs across those matches tells the story of a player India have frequently needed to look to at key moments.

His two ODI centuries are separated by extraordinary circumstances as much as years. The 210 against Bangladesh in 2022 was the fastest ODI double-century in history at the time, while the 125 against Afghanistan in 2026 is arguably the more personally meaningful innings of his career.

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