Ishan Kishan’s Stellar Comeback: India C Dominates Day 1 with His Stunning Century in Duleep Trophy
Ishan Kishan made a stunning comeback to first-class cricket on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy second round, smashing a commanding 111 off 126 balls.
In Anantapur, his outstanding innings helped India C to a dominant lead against India D.
Key Performances and Match Scorecard
Match Analysis
On the first day of the Duleep Trophy’s second round of matches in Anantapur, Ishan Kishan celebrated his comeback to first-class cricket by leading India C in a counterattacking 126-ball 111.
Kishan was added late on match eve after not being included in the initial amended rosters announced by the BCCI on September 10. Kishan was supposed to play for India D, but he made a last-minute sprint from 200 kilometers away Bengaluru and ended up playing for India C instead. However, he had a groin injury last week, which kept him out of the first round of matches.
India C’s batting effort was built on a 189-run partnership between Kishan and B Indrajith, which lasted for the third wicket and saw them finish on 357 for 5 after 79 overs. After three innings, Indrajith scored 78, his second half-century.
Kishan officially made his return to proper red-ball cricket for the first time since his Test debut in the Caribbean in July 2023. During his performance, which saw him reach his sixth first-class century, he smashed 14 fours and three sixes.
He had captained Jharkhand in both of the team’s preseason Buchi Babu Invitational matches in Tamil Nadu last month; the results of those matches aren’t considered first-class records. There, against a Madhya Pradesh XI, Kishan had scored a century in his debut match.
Legspinner Rahul Chahar and seamer Mukesh Kumar each took one wicket for India C, but seamer Kumar claimed three of the five wickets.
However, the return of captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was injured in the first over after twisting his ankle, will give India C hope. At the fall of Indrajith’s wicket, Gaikwad came back to bat and added 42 more runs to his total, which at stumps left him undefeated at 46.
In an attempt to solidify their positions as the first backup middle order selections, B Sai Sudharsan and Rajat Patidar failed to build on their fast starts, finishing at 43 and 40, respectively.
