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Ishan Kishan Creates History, Becomes 1st Wicketkeeper-Batter To...

WHAT'S THE STORY?

Ishan Kishan entered his name in the history books on Thursday (February 12) by becoming the first wicketkeeper-batter to score a half-century in a T20 World Cup match for India. The 27-year-old left-handed

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batter from Patna opened the innings for the Men in Blue on Thursday in Delhi against Namibia and scored 61 runs from just 24 balls. Ishan hammered 6 fours and 5 sixes during his stay at the crease on Thursday and needed 20 balls to reach the 50-run mark.

Before Ishan, the record of the highest score by a wicketkeeper-batter for India in a T20 World Cup match was in the name of MS Dhoni. Dhoni played a knock of 45 runs from 33 balls for India against South Africa in Durban on September 20, 2007.

Highest scores by wicketkeeper-batters for India in a T20 World Cup match

PLAYER RUNS BALLS 4/6s STRIKE RATE AGAINST VENUE DATE
Ishan Kishan 61 24 6/5 254.16 Namibia Delhi February 12, 2026
MS Dhoni 45 33 4/1 136.36 South Africa Durban September 20, 2007
Rishabh Pant 42 31 6/0 135.48 Pakistan New York June 9, 2024
Rishabh Pant 39 30 2/2 130 Pakistan Dubai October 24, 2021
Rishabh Pant 36* 26 3/2 138.46 Ireland New York June 5, 2024

The overall record of the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup match by a designated wicketkeeper-batter is in the name of New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum. During the 2012 T20 World Cup match between New Zealand and Bangladesh in Pallekele on September 21, 2012, McCullum played a knock of 123 runs from 58 balls.

England’s Jos Buttler also scored a century as a wicketkeeper-batter in the T20 World Cup. He achieved the feat on November 1, 2021, in Sharjah against Sri Lanka.

Highest individual scores in a T20 World Cup match by designated wicketkeeper-batters

PLAYER COUNTRY RUNS BALLS 4/6s STRIKE RATE AGAINST VENUE DATE
Brendon McCullum New Zealand 123 58 11/7 212.06 Bangladesh Pallekele September 21, 2012
Jos Buttler England 101* 67 6/6 150.74 Sri Lanka Sharjah November 1, 2021
Nicholas Pooran West Indies 98 53 6/8 184.9 Afghanistan Gros Islet June 17, 2024
Devon Conway New Zealand 92* 58 7/2 158.62 Australia Sydney October 22, 2022
Tim Seifert New Zealand 89* 42 12/3 211.9 UAE Chennai February 10, 2026

Ishan, who scored a century in just 42 balls for India in the fifth T20I against New Zealand last month, added 79 runs from just 31 balls for the second wicket with Tilak Varma on Thursday. The super stand between the two left-handed batters helped India reach the 100-run mark in just 6.5 overs on Thursday, which is a record for the fastest team 100 in a T20 World Cup match.

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