India’s national cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has praised Ishan Kishan a lot. After being out of the Indian team for more than two years, Ishan Kishan fought back and turned his tale into one of the biggest attractions of the T20 World Cup 2024.
The left-handed batsman ended the tournament as India’s second-highest run-scorer with 317 runs. Before being a part of India’s historic T20 World Cup 2026 victorious campaign, Ishan took domestic cricket by storm with his stellar performances.
Gautam Gambhir lauds Ishan Kishan’s amazing comeback story
Ishaan’s journey has been full of ups and downs. The young opening batsman was dropped from the team, lost his BCCI central contract, and had to rebuild everything through domestic cricket. But he responded brilliantly, from a record-breaking domestic season to making a comeback into the Indian team and then delivering big performances on the world stage.
However, Gambhir said that the real story is not just about what Ishan did in the T20 World Cup 2026, but also about the courage he showed after such a long break. The head coach has said that it is never easy to make a comeback after almost two years and that is why Ishan’s comeback is special.
Gautam Gambhir, as quoted by RivSportz, told Boria Majumdar at a conclave: “I won’t talk about what he did in the World Cup; I think the one thing I want to talk about is that it is never easy to make a comeback. I have been in such a situation many times in my career; you are much more nervous when you are making a comeback than when you are making your debut.”
Ishaan’s fearless comeback shows his true character: Gambhir
One moment that has impressed Gautam Gambhir the most was Ishan’s comeback match against New Zealand in Nagpur, where he attacked with the very first ball and sent it straight down the ground for four runs.
Gambhir further added, “He hit his very first ball over the boundary against Jacob Duffy in Nagpur and it shows the character of a guy who is making a comeback after two and a half years.”
“If someone can hit the ground on the first ball against New Zealand, it shows his fearlessness, ability, character and how quickly he has adopted the team-first philosophy.”
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Indian cricket is fortunate to have so much depth: Gautam Gambhir
The Indian head coach believes that this is what makes Ishan special. He has the fearless approach, skills and mentality to fit the team’s style. It shows strong character and hunger and Gambhir said it is a testament to how strong India’s bench is.
SRH has appointed Ishan as the captain in the absence of Pat Cummins. What makes him special? Gautam Gambhir explains. @AgeasFederal @GautamGambhir @boriamjumdar @ishaankishan51 @Sunrisers #ishaankishan #SunrisersHyderabad #IPL2026 pic.twitter.com/gpMV5OsSpt
– RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) 20 March 2026
Gambhir said, “That’s why I say someone like Ishan Kishan, not because of the World Cups, the kind of World Cups he’s had, but the kind of character he has, and that’s why Indian cricket is very fortunate to have that much depth, Sanju. Someone like Ishan Kishan; they’ve got an amazing white-ball wicketkeeper, and hopefully they can continue on this path, keep working hard, stay humble, and hopefully they can achieve a lot of success in the future.”
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