India, Nov. 7 -- In February 2024, Ishan Kishan found himself at a crossroads. Having stepped away from Team India during the South Africa tour in December 2023, citing mental fatigue, the wicketkeeper-batter was subsequently left out of the BCCI's central contracts list for 2023-24 after failing to turn up for domestic cricket despite the board's instructions.

His international career stalled and the road back looked uncertain. Fast forward to November 2026, and Kishan has not just reclaimed his place in India's T20I set-up, but has rewritten the record books. With 1220 runs in 2026, he surpassed Suryakumar Yadav to become the Indian with the most T20I runs in a single calendar year.

The numbers behind that record make the turnaround e...