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Ishan Kishan: How has he fared as captain in T20s?
27 Mar 2026

The 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will kick off with a clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

The match will be played at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28.

This will be Ishan Kishan's first time captaining in the IPL, as he takes over from injured Pat Cummins for the initial games.

On this note, let's take a look at Kishan's performance as a captain in T20 cricket.

An average of 43-plus
Performance analysis

As per ESPNcricinfo, Kishan has played 29 T20 matches as the designated captain.

He has returned with 1,078 runs at a brilliant average of 43.12.

His strike rate is also a phenomenal 163.08, which includes four fifties and as many hundreds.

Only Thisara Perera (166.27) and Shahid Afridi (165.54) have better strike rates among captains with at least 1,000 T20 runs.

Kishan only behind Kohli on this list
Hundreds!

As mentioned, Kishan has tallied four hundreds while leading in T20 cricket.

Virat Kohli (5) is the only Indian ahead of the southpaw in this regard.

Meanwhile, Kishan is among the seven batters with at least four T20 tons as a skipper.

Each of the other six has played over 100 games as captain.

Golden run in SMAT 2025
SMAT 2025

The Ishan Kishan-led Jharkhand won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025.

The captain led from the front, hammering 517 runs across 10 games at an average of 57.44. He struck at an impressive 197.32.

No other batter could even manage 450 runs in the season. Kishan tallied two tons and as many fifties.

This campaign eventually earned him a Team India recall as well.

Kishan closing in on 3,000 IPL runs
Career overview

Kishan has been a vital cog in the IPL, having played 119 matches for three franchises, including SRH and MI.

He has scored 2,998 runs in 112 innings at an average of 29.10 and a strike rate of 137.64.

His tally includes one century and 17 fifties. The IPL 2026 opener could see Kishan cross the 3,000-run mark in the league.

As a wicketkeeper, he has also contributed significantly with 59 catches and five stumpings to his name.