India’s former all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin believes Ishan Kishan’s selection in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad is a reward for his hard work and commitment to domestic cricket.
Kishan was out of the national team setup since 2023, and Ashwin feels the comeback reflects his respect for the game, which helped him earn his place.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat, Ashwin described Kishan’s journey as a full-circle moment, stating, “Cricket has given Ishan Kishan a gift. People on the outside can have a guess on whether it was fair, unfair, and all, but life comes back in a circle. The reason Ishan (Kishan) was not in the side, and why he is in the team now, is because of one thing. He gave cricket the respect it deserves.”
Ashwin also explained how Kishan’s domestic performances helped him make a comeback in international cricket.
“In first-class cricket, he even came to play in the Buchi Babu Invitational. A player like Ishan Kishan came to play the Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai for Jharkhand. From there, he was there for Jharkhand in their preparation for the Ranji Trophy, where he was number one. And in first-class cricket, he came in and scored runs. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he led Jharkhand and even performed well. It is because of this.”
Summing it up with a simple analogy, Ashwin said, “It is not about Ishan Kishan the person; it is about Ishan Kishan the cricketer who went through the yards of the game… In mathematics, we say LHS equals RHS… This is why he went through the ropes in domestic cricket, which is LHS, which equals RHS, which is selection. It is very simple.”
Kishan was the top run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He scored 517 runs in 10 matches at an average of 57.44 and a strike rate of 197.32.
Also Read: ‘10 Out of 10’: Harbhajan Singh praises India’s T20 World Cup squad
For latest sports updates: Follow RevSportz
