He didn't change his style, he changed his mindset: The making of Ishan Kishan 2.0

Ishan Kishan's coach Uttam Mazumdar reveals how a mindset shift, hard work and domestic cricket helped the wicketkeeper-batter script a remarkable comeback.

In February 2024, Ishan Kishan found himself at a crossroads. Having stepped away from Team India during the South Africa tour in December 2023, citing mental fatigue, the wicketkeeper-batter was subsequently left out of the BCCI's central contracts list for 2023-24 after failing to turn up for domestic cricket despite the board's instructions.

Ishan Kishan recently became the Indian with the most T20I runs in a single calendar year (AP)

His international career stalled and the road back looked uncertain. Fast forward to November 2026, and Kishan has not just reclaimed his place in India's T20I set-up, but has rewritten the record books. With 1220 runs in 2026, he surpassed Suryakumar Yadav to become the Indian with the most T20I runs in a single calendar year.

The numbers behind that record make the turnaround even more striking. Ishan Kishan's 2026 tally has come in 37 innings, at an average of 35.88 and a strike rate of 171.59. He has struck nine scores of 50 or more, including his maiden T20I century, with a highest score of 103. It is a substantial leap from the batter who had managed 796 runs in his first 32 T20I innings between 2021 and 2023 averaging 25.67 and striking at 124.37.

The contrast is not merely about scoring more runs. It is about the authority with which he is now occupying the crease. He is no longer just providing a brisk start or an entertaining burst in the middle order. He is increasingly turning those promising beginnings into match-defining contributions.

From promising starts to substantial scores

For Uttam Mazumdar, Ishan Kishan's personal coach, the most important change has not been technical. The left-hander has not had to reinvent his batting or abandon the attacking instincts that made him stand out in the first place. The transformation, Mazumdar believes, has happened in his head.

“I think his mindset, concentration, and focus on the game are completely different now compared to how he played before” Mazumdar said to Hindustan Times.

“ He didn't change his style. He only changed his mindset," he added.

That distinction is central to understanding Kishan's resurgence. Earlier in his international career he would produce quick runs and eye-catching cameos, but did not convert those starts into substantial scores. To put things into context, he had 6 fifties in the first two years of his T20I career from 2021 to 2023. After making his comeback into the Indian team in 2026, the wicketkeeper-batter has crossed the 50-run mark 9 times in this calendar year alone, including scoring his maiden T20I century.

Mazumdar has noticed the same shift in the way Kishan constructs an innings.

“A couple of years ago, in the IPL or other matches, you would see him score 30s, 40s, or a brilliant 50. Now, he scores 70s, 80s, and 100s. That is the difference his mindset has made, turning small scores into big milestones,” he explained.

The rise in his average, from 25.67 to 35.88, is another indication of that greater consistency. His strike rate, meanwhile, has climbed from 124.37 to 171.59. The two figures together underline what makes this version of Kishan particularly valuable: he is scoring at a significantly higher tempo without sacrificing his wicket cheaply and building a substantial innings.

The rebuilding happened away from the spotlight

Ishan Kishan with his coach Uttam Mazumdar

Ishan Kishan's last T20I appearance before his return came in November 2023, and he did not feature for India again until January 2026. The intervening period forced him to rebuild his case through domestic cricket, away from the spotlight of international cricket, where he had once been a regular part of the conversation.

Uttam Mazumdar's advice during that difficult phase was to stop looking too far ahead or dwelling on what had already happened. He wanted Kishan to focus on the performance in front of him, rather than allow the prospect of an India return to become the defining measure of every innings.

“There is a really great story behind that. Not many people know the story or the pain he went through to make this comeback,” Mazumdar said.

“I always told him that in a professional cricket career, you have to give your best in every single match. I take it match by match with him. You shouldn't think about your future or your past; you have to focus on the present and how to be your best every single day,” he added.

Domestic cricket became the proving ground for that approach. Kishan led Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title, taking charge of a side that, according to Mazumdar, was not considered among the strongest teams in the competition. He also captained East Zone to the Duleep Trophy title, producing a commanding performance in the final against South Zone.

His scores of 270 and 80 in that match gave him 350 runs across the two innings and helped East Zone end a 14-year wait for the title. It was more than a prolific individual display. Kishan had taken responsibility as a leader and delivered when his team needed him.

For Mazumdar, the idea was never to turn Kishan into a different kind of batter. It was to make him approach his career with a renewed sense of responsibility and intensity and be a better version of himself.

“I told him, ‘Now you have to create another Ishan Kishan to make it back into Team India. You have to give not just 100%, but 200% in everything,’” Mazumdar recalled.

The results of that rebuilding have been visible since Kishan returned to the Indian side.

One of the clearest examples came in the Asian Games 2026 semi-final against Sri Lanka. On a turning track in Nisshin, Japan, Kishan struck 80 off 46 balls while all the other batters struggled to find their footing.

It was an innings that showcased the combination his coach has been talking about: the attacking instinct was still present, but it came with the composure to adapt to the conditions and take the innings forward.

Ishan Kishan's return to India's T20I set-up has been emphatic, but Uttam Mazumdar believes the wicketkeeper-batter has more to offer across formats. With just two Test appearances behind him and his ODI career still awaiting a fresh opportunity, there are chapters left to be written.

“He is one of the best in white-ball cricket. He hasn't had as many chances to play Test cricket, but once he gets the opportunity, he will show his performance. Since he has already been selected for ODI cricket in the past, I hope he gets another chance to prove his talent and establish himself as one of the best in ODIs as well," Mazumdar concluded.