‘Asked myself 'Can I do it again?'' - Ishan Kishan gives honest take after Raipur blitz

Wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan, making his comeback into the Indian team, was at his scintillating best in the second T20I against New Zealand in Raipur. The left-hander was backed by the selectors over Shubman Gill for the shortest format after his heroics in domestic cricket this season and he repaid the faith.

Kishan lit up the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium with a blistering 76 off just 32 balls, leading India’s dominant batting effort and helping them claim a comfortable win to go

2-0 up in the five-match series. He was named Player of the Match for his game-changing knock.

Following the innings, the southpaw admitted that he was nervous before going into bat, after failing to make an impact in the opening encounter of the series. He revealed what thought process he followed during his epic knock. 

"I asked myself one question, can I do it again or not? And I had a very clear answer. I felt I could bat through the innings and play good shots. I just needed to get runs somewhere to answer my questions. Even if I got out, I just wanted to play good cricket, that was it," Kishan said after the match.

Kishan’s innings was a spectacle of power and timing. From the word go, he played with intent, punishing anything in his slot and rotating strike cleverly when needed. His knock included four sixes and 11 fours. 

The 27-year-old further opined how domestic cricket helped him earn this comeback into the Indian set-up. 

"I was just looking to score runs. Sometimes it's important to do it for yourself, to answer your own questions about how you're batting and whether you're capable of playing for India. That's why it was important for me to play domestic cricket and get runs. The good part was that we won the trophy as well, and I carried that confidence here. So it was a pretty good day for me," he concluded. 

Suryakumar Yadav finds form with timely knock 

It was a clinical show by the Men in Blue, chasing down a stiff 209 in just 15.2 overs. But the main talking point of the match was Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav finally finding his mojo.

After having a horrid year with the bat in 2025, the right-hander was at his vintage best, scoring 82 runs off just 37 balls, including four sixes and nine fours.

The Indian team will now look to seal the series with a win in Guwahati, the venue where the third T20I will be played.