Ishan Kishan strengthened his case for a return to India’s Test squad with an unbeaten century in the Duleep Trophy final on Sunday. The East Zone captain scored 111 not out against South Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, putting his name firmly back into the selection discussion.
Kishan played an aggressive innings, hitting 14 boundaries and two sixes. He reached his fifty from 71 balls before accelerating in the final session. South Zone’s bowlers struggled to contain him as he took on both the pace attack and spinners.
Kishan found an able partner in Kumar Kushagra, who was unbeaten on 63. The pair added an unbroken 144-run partnership for the fifth wicket, helping East Zone finish the opening day on 385 for four in 79 overs.
The century came at an important time for Kishan, who has been trying to regain his place across formats. After returning to T20Is, he earned an ODI comeback earlier this year, and a strong run in red-ball cricket could now put him back in contention for Test selection.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar was present in the stands at Chepauk to watch the match. Agarkar had previously called for greater consistency from the Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter.
Kishan had impressed during his County Championship debut for Nottinghamshire last year, scoring 87 and 77 against Yorkshire and Somerset. He was subsequently considered as a possible replacement for Rishabh Pant after Pant suffered an injury during India’s Test series in England. However, Kishan did not travel as he continued his injury recovery, with N Jagadeesan eventually selected instead.
The selectors later backed Jagadeesan for the home series against the West Indies, although he did not feature in either Test.
Kishan’s domestic record also offers encouragement. He played only three Ranji Trophy innings last season but scored 246 runs at an average of 82, including a commanding 173.
His latest Duleep Trophy hundred is therefore another positive step in his red-ball comeback. While one innings is unlikely to guarantee an immediate Test recall, the performance has certainly brought him back into the conversation.
With India looking ahead to tours of New Zealand and a home series against Australia, Kishan will hope to maintain his form and provide the selectors with a strong case for his return to the longest format.
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