Suryakumar Yadav revealed how a phone call changed Ishan Kishan’s fortunes and paved the way for his inclusion in the Men’s Under-20 World Cup squad. After being out of the team for almost three years, Kishan made a sensational comeback, scoring 317 runs in nine matches and helping India become the first team to successfully defend the title.
Kishan earned his place in the squad for the series against New Zealand after his outstanding performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he finished as the top scorer of the tournament and he made a 45-ball century in the final. Since then, he hasn’t looked back and has also earned a spot in the ICC Team of the Tournament after his World Cup heroics.
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Suryakumar shared that Kishan asked him to show him some faith. The Indian captain praised Kishan for his dedication and hard work in domestic cricket, which eventually helped him regain his place on the international stage.
“Before the tournament, I still remember when we were picking the team. I called him and said, ‘Will you win the World Cup for me?'” Suryakumar told the ICC in an exclusive interview.
“He said, just show some faith and I’ll do it. And he didn’t disappoint. He missed a lot of international cricket in the last two years, but then he came back to domestic cricket, played his part, did the hard yards, came back to the Indian side again and did his best,” Suryakumar added.
HOW ISHAN KISHAN REFLECTED
In the series against the Black Caps, Ishan Kishan was in his best form as he scored 215 runs in four matches at an average of 53.75 and a strike rate of 231.18. However, it was his 42-ball century in the fifth T20I in Thiruvananthapuram this cemented his place in the World Cup squad.
During the tournament, Kishan continued his impressive run, hitting a fifty against Namibia and followed it up with an innings of 77 runs against Pakistan in Colombo. He kept up the pace and ended the campaign with a 54-run knock against New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
14 March 2026 23:56 IST
