Shubman Gill breaks silence on Ishan Kishan snatching his T20I spot

Team India batter Shubman Gill showered praise on Ishan Kishan after the latter’s explosive century in the fifth T20I against New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram. Gill, who was recently dropped from India’s T20I squad ahead of the World Cup, called Kishan’s knock “unreal,” which caught attention on social media.

The 27-year-old batter came in to bat early after India lost a wicket inside the first three overs on Saturday, January 31. Kishan reached his maiden T20I century in just 42 deliveries. The Men in Blue posted a huge total of 271 runs in their 20 overs and eventually won by 46 runs to register a 4-1 series victory.

Shubman Gill Lauds Ishan Kishan’s Blazing Hundred in 5th T20I

Ishan Kishan was named Player of the Match for his 103-run innings. Following the match, he shared photos from the game on Instagram. A comment from Shubman Gill grabbed the spotlight.

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Here's the comment from Gill on Kishan's social media post: "LFFFGGGG. Unreal knock. Keep going brother."

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— Shubman Gill Fc (@ShubmanGill7fc) J<!---->a<!---->n<!---->u<!---->a<!---->r<!---->y<!----> <!---->3<!---->1<!---->,<!----> <!---->2<!---->0<!---->2<!---->6

Kishan scored 215 runs in four innings at an average of 53.75 and a strike rate of 231.18, which has boosted his chances of cementing the opening role. He kept wickets in the fifth T20I. The batter could now partner Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order in the T20 World Cup 2026.

Ishan Kishan Joins Elite List With Record-Breaking Century Against New Zealand

Ishan Kishan reached his century in just 42 balls in the fifth T20I against New Zealand. Notably, it was the fifth-fastest T20I hundred by an Indian batter. During the innings, Kishan smashed six fours and 10 sixes.

He also added a crucial third-wicket partnership of 137 runs in 57 balls with Suryakumar Yadav, who scored 63 runs off 30 deliveries. With this knock, Kishan became only the third Indian batter after Suryakumar and Shubman Gill to score a T20I century against New Zealand.

Kishan also entered an elite list as the fifth Indian to hit 10 or more sixes in a single T20I innings. The record for the most sixes by an Indian in a T20I is held by Abhishek Sharma, who smashed 13 sixes during his 135-run knock against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

I’m Still Not There, My Focus Is on the World Cup - Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan said that he is not fully satisfied and wants to take his form into the T20 World Cup. He stated that his focus is always on watching the ball and scoring when the opportunity is there.

"Wanted to watch the ball and play accordingly. I think the plan in this team is to go for runs even if you're close to the milestone," Kishan said in the post-game presentation, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

"If the ball is there, you have to go for it and think about winning matches. I'm still not there, my focus is on World Cup. What's important is we carry the same form over there," he added.

Also read: India U19 vs Pakistan U19 Preview: Free Live Streaming, Match Prediction, Pitch & Weather Report, Head-to-Head, Playing XIs | ICC Under 19 World Cup 2026