After weeks of fading form and mounting scrutiny, Ishan Kishan finally roared back to life in IPL 2025 -- not with a flash-in-the-pan cameo, but with a statement innings that combined flair, control, and resilience.
On a high-scoring evening in Lucknow, the left-hander shook off a prolonged lean patch to hammer an unbeaten 94 off just 48 balls, powering Sunrisers Hyderabad to a formidable 231 for 6 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
It was more than just a personal comeback -- it was a performance that steadied a volatile SRH innings, silenced growing doubts about his place in the XI, and reminded everyone of the match-winner Kishan can be when he finds his rhythm.
Having scored just 125 runs in 10 innings since his century in the season opener, his batting form had become one of SRH's biggest question marks. But on Friday, the 26 year old showed up as the answer -- staying till the end, expertly navigating a flurry of wickets around him, and anchoring one of the most blistering totals of the tournament.
Sent in to bat first, SRH got off to a flyer thanks to the usual blitz from Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head. The pair combined for 54 runs in just four overs, treating Yash Dayal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar with utter disdain.
Sharma, in particular, was in sensational touch, smashing Bhuvneshwar for a boundary, a six, and another four in the second over. But their aggressive approach came with risk. Sharma holed out to Phil Salt at square leg after a 17-ball 34, and Head followed soon after, falling to a knuckle ball from Bhuvneshwar.
At 54/2, SRH were still in a strong position, but the dismissals of their openers could have derailed their momentum. That's where Kishan stepped up. The left-hander walked in with intent but avoided the mindless aggression that would plague other SRH batters later in the innings.
Instead, he focused on building his innings, playing second fiddle when Heinrich Klaasen and later Aniket Verma were going big, but gradually shifting gears as the innings progressed.
The middle phase of SRH's innings was punctuated by these intermittent cameos, and yet it never felt like they were losing steam, thanks to Kishan's reassuring presence.
The hallmark of Kishan's innings was his shot selection and pacing. He wasn't afraid to take his time early on, taking 28 balls to bring up his first fifty in 10 innings. But once settled, he unleashed his full range of strokes.
His seven boundaries and five sixes weren't the result of slogging but of carefully constructed shot-making. One moment that stood out was the calculated six off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 18th over -- a statement of intent and confidence.
While wickets continued to fall at the other end, including Abhinav Manohar at the death, Kishan remained unfazed. He ran hard between the wickets, rotated strike smartly, and punished anything loose.
His 54 runs out of the last 86 made by SRH underlined his dominance and his ability to shift gears without losing control. Kishan ensured SRH finished strong, extracting 43 runs from the final three overs, with help from a couple of timely hits by Pat Cummins.
His innings stood in stark contrast to the rest of the SRH lineup, many of whom perished trying to muscle every ball to the boundary. Kishan's measured aggression and game awareness made the difference between a good total and a daunting one.
By the time the innings ended, Kishan had played his best knock of the season. In a format that often rewards brute force, his effort was a reminder that smart batting can still win the day.
More importantly for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kishan's return to form arrives with an eye on the bigger picture.
For SRH, already out of the playoff race, Kishan's return to form is less about this season and more about what's next. His knock was a timely reminder of the firepower he brings -- just when the franchise starts thinking ahead to 2026.
On a forgettable night for RCB, it was Kishan who left the lasting impression: Composed, clinical, and back in business.