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Cricket PlayersCaptaincy kept me away from my wild child days: How leading Jharkhand rebuilt Ishan Kishan before his 270
Ishan Kishan credits Jharkhand captaincy for his personal transformation, helping him become calmer and more responsible before his epic 270.
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Ishan Kishan went through a tumultuous period in his career, going from being an all-format player to losing his BCCI central contract after a trail of unforeseen events in late 2023. It took almost two years for Ishan to return to the national fold, first in T20Is and then in ODIs this summer, with talk of a Test return now brewing strongly. But for the wicketkeeper-batter, the change began the day he took up Jharkhand's captaincy in 2024.
Speaking to the press at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday, after his epic 270 in the Duleep Trophy final, Ishan said the leadership role helped him grow as a person, a cricketer and a leader of men, keeping him away from his "wild child" days.
"You have to take responsibility. If you don't take it now, when will you? It's not like I am a 22-year-old and have just broken into the team. When we were very young, we used to rely on our senior players to score runs and thought we would just support them," Kishan said during the post-day press conference.
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"But now, being an established part of the squad, I feel it is crucial that I take up the primary role of scoring runs and making sure the team's total climbs because of me," he said.
By mid-2023, Ishan had established himself as an all-format player after making his Test debut on the tour of the West Indies. But six months later, the scenario changed unexpectedly. His decision to leave the Indian Test camp before the start of the series in South Africa, citing mental health reasons, and his subsequent decision not to turn up for domestic matches despite a BCCI mandate, did not sit well with the selectors. He soon lost his BCCI central contract and fell out of reckoning for a place in the Indian team.
Determined to turn things around, Ishan returned to the Jharkhand side in the following domestic season. He scored hundreds in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy before helping Jharkhand win that season's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 517 runs with two hundreds.
MUST READ: Where does Ishan Kishan's 270 rank among the greatest Duleep Trophy performances?
That domestic T20 season led to his T20I return earlier this year. Consistency in the format, followed by his performances in the IPL, saw him return to the ODI fold earlier this summer as well. And his epic 270 in the Duleep Trophy final has now reignited talks around a Test return.
"Going through this whole process leads to immense personal growth, and while you might not realise it immediately, your mindset shifts completely, and you become much calmer about things," he said.
Ishan admitted that captaincy made him more responsible and aware, while also teaching him to look beyond his own performance and care about every member of the team. He realised that when individual players improve, the whole team benefits and is more likely to succeed.
"I think when you are the captain of the team, the first thing is situational awareness... you have to stay alert the entire day on the field to understand what is happening and what isn't. You have to take care of all your teammates.
"There are so many small things we often overlook in our daily routines — like just showing up, batting in the nets, and leaving. You don't look at your players or try to help them figure out how they can get better.
"But when you are the captain, it becomes your duty to help them, because if your teammates are improving, ultimately you will achieve the team's goals," he said.
The left-hander cited his 270 as a primary example of that philosophy.
"It was a very good innings because I always kept the team goal first. I could have played attacking shots in many moments, but I think when you are batting on such a big stage, it is very important to prioritise what the team decides on the total first.
"We won the toss and chose to bat first, and the plan was to put up a big total on the board. So, I had to show a lot of temperament, keep good shot selection. So, I'm really happy with this innings," he said.
