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India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan described his journey back to the national side as a "rollercoaster" after contributing to India's successful defence of their ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 title.
Speaking on JioHotstar, Kishan reflected on the challenges and triumphs he experienced after being dropped from the team, highlighting the significance of winning the championship. The left-handed batter was the fourth-highest run-getter in the marquee tournament. The Southpaw slammed 317 runs in nine matches at an astonishing strike rate of 193.29. Kishan hammered three half-centuries in the T20 World Cup. "To be very honest, the moment I got out of the team, it was a long journey for me. Coming from domestic cricket, making it back to the team, playing this tournament and winning the championship, it's been a rollercoaster. I think we need to win more of these championships because these are the moments I will never forget in my life. I'm very happy, and so is the team, and we'll want to do it again and again," Kishan said. India became the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, also the first to win consecutive titles, and the only team to lift the trophy three times (2007, 2024, and 2026). Coming to the match, New Zealand won the toss and elected to field first. However, a return-to-form, record-breaking fifty from Abhishek Sharma (52 in 21 balls, with six fours and three sixes) and his 98-run stand with Samson made NZ regret the decision. Later, Samson stitched a century stand with Ishan Kishan (54 in 25 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) to take India past the 200-run mark in the 16th over. After a brief slowdown, Shivam Dube (26* in eight balls, with three fours and two sixes) made some valuable runs to take India to 255/5, the highest total in T20WC finals. James Neesham (3/46) was the leading wicket-taker for NZ. In the run-chase of 256 runs, Axar and Bumrah helped India reduce the Kiwis to 72/5, despite a half-century from Tim Seifert (52 in 26 balls, with two fours and five sixes). Despite a brief partnership between Daryl Mitchell (17) and skipper Mitchell Santner (43 in 35 balls, with three fours and two sixes), India kept chipping in with wickets, and the Kiwis were bundled out for just 159 runs. (ANI)
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