Less than a year ago, Ishan Kishan returned to T20Is. Earlier this summer, it was the ODIs. Is Test cricket next?
On Sunday, on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy 2026 final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, East Zone captain Ishan made an unbeaten 111 to put his Test return case firmly back in focus. With 14 boundaries and two sixes, Ishan scored his second career Duleep Trophy century and his second fifty-plus score of this edition as East Zone took the honours on Day 1 against a clueless and toothless South Zone bowling attack.
On a placid Chennai track, where almost every batter got a start, South Zone's bowlers were erratic and lacked variation in their plans. Three East Zone batters scored at least a fifty, while the team also put together three fifty-plus partnerships. Ishan and Kumar Kushagra, unbeaten on 63, stitched together an unbroken 144-run stand for the fifth wicket as East Zone finished Day 1 on 385 for four in 79 overs.
Deep Dive
What are Ishan Kishan's recent performances leading up to his Duleep Trophy century?
Why is Ishan Kishan's century significant for his Test return prospects?
How has Ajit Agarkar responded to Ishan Kishan's performance and Test selection potential?
Ishan shifted gears in the final session, when South Zone went wicketless and conceded at 5.56 runs an over. With the fast bowlers persisting with their short-ball ploy, the left-hander unleashed a barrage of boundaries against Mohammed Siraj, MD Nidheesh and CV Milind. He brought up his fifty off 71 balls before taking on the spinners as well, racing to his second fifty at a run-a-ball rate.
{{/usCountry}}Ishan shifted gears in the final session, when South Zone went wicketless and conceded at 5.56 runs an over. With the fast bowlers persisting with their short-ball ploy, the left-hander unleashed a barrage of boundaries against Mohammed Siraj, MD Nidheesh and CV Milind. He brought up his fifty off 71 balls before taking on the spinners as well, racing to his second fifty at a run-a-ball rate.
{{/usCountry}}The century certainly puts Ishan's Test return case back in focus. Impressed by his 87 and 77 against Yorkshire and Somerset on his County Championship debut for Nottinghamshire last year, following his India A campaign in England, the BCCI selectors picked him as a replacement for Rishabh Pant after the wicketkeeper-batter was injured during the England Test series. However, Ishan did not travel as he continued his injury recovery, with N Jagadeesan picked instead.
Even though the pecking order suggested Ishan was ahead of the Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper, the selectors backed Jagadeesan for the home series against the West Indies after Pant failed to recover. However, he did not feature in either Test.
When asked about Ishan, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had demanded greater consistency from the Jharkhand star.
"He [Ishan] is a very good player, as we know. But we'd like him to play a bit more cricket and show some performances," Agarkar said after announcing the Test squad for the West Indies series.
Ishan played only three innings in the Ranji Trophy last year, scoring 246 runs at an average of 82, including a knock of 173. A year later, he has started the 2026-27 red-ball season with a century in the Duleep Trophy final — and he did it right in front of Agarkar, who was sitting in the Chepauk stands.
The century may not be enough to earn Ishan an immediate Test recall, but it has certainly brought his name back into the reckoning. With an upcoming tour of New Zealand and a home series against Australia on the horizon, India will be keen to build a winning run as they target a place in the World Test Championship final.