India, June 18 -- Back in India's ODI setup after nearly three years, Ishan Kishan announced his return in emphatic fashion with a blistering century against Afghanistan in the second ODI in Lucknow on Wednesday. It was his first ODI hundred since the record-breaking double century in Chattogram in December 2022, and it once again thrust his name into the World Cup conversation, this time posing even tougher questions for the selectors and team management with the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching.

Ishan made his ODI debut in 2021 and initially featured largely in India's second-string sides, with T20 cricket taking priority amid back-to-back World Cups in the shortest format. But everything changed in Chattogram. His stunning 210 against B...