Ishan Kishan ends decade-long wait with maiden IPL century, finds new home at SRH to become first centurion of season
Ishan Kishan smashed 106 runs* off 47 balls, which was embellished with 11 fours and 6 sixes at a strike rate of 225.53.
Ishan Kishan found a new home in Sunrisers Hyderabad, and he enjoyed his first day at the office with his maiden IPL century in the clash against Rajasthan Royals. The wicketkeeper batter owned the big stage and became the first centurion of IPL 2025, reaching the mark in just 45 balls.
The wicketkeeper batter joined SRH this season after spending 7 years in the Mumbai Indians camp. He made sure to make a big impact on his SRH debut as he ended his wait for his maiden IPL century in his 10th season. He matched the beats with SRH's explosive left-handed opening duo - Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head as he made his presence felt straightaway in the star-studded line-up. The swashbuckling batter smashed 106 runs* off 47 balls, which was embellished with 11 fours and 6 sixes at a strike rate of 225.53.
The 2016 IPL champions went all guns blazing after Ishan in the mega auction and signed him for a whopping INR 11.25 crore. The wicketkeeper batter had a great pre-season with SRH, where he showed aggressive signs with the bat during the intra-squad matches. He continued the purple match in his team's first match of the season and smashed the Rajasthan Royals bowlers all around the park to end his decade-long wait to score a century in the cash-rich league.
The out-of-favour Indian batter ensured he didn't get overshadowed in the explosive SRH batting line-up and hit boundaries regularly. He also finished his half-century with back-to-back sixes and reached his ton with a four to stamp his authority over the Royals bowlers. He looked confident during his presence at the crease and didn't shy away from playing the reverse sweep to hit boundaries.
In the last season of IPL, he endured a tough time with the bat at Mumbai Indians, hitting just one half-century, and the move to SRH came at the right time for him. The ultra-aggressive SRH approach helped Kishan to go and play his shots from the first ball itself. His unbeaten 106-run knock helped SRH post 286/6 - the second-highest total in IPL history after being asked to bat first.
Ishan Kishan on redemption journey
It is going to be the redemption season for Kishan, who has been out of favour with the Indian team since being dropped from the BCCI central contract list. Kishan was last part of the India squad during the tour of South Africa in 2023, which he had left midway. The batter had reportedly taken a personal break, which did not go down well with the BCCI. He has now been dropped down in the pecking order of the wicketkeeper's choices in the Indian team, with the likes of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel way ahead of him in the race but a great IPL season can change fortunes for him.
