Former England spinner Graeme Swann heaped praises on Indian batter Ishan Kishan after his quickfire second ODI century in the second match against Afghanistan, stating that the way he performed made it seem as if he had never left the ODI set-up, calling it "remarkable."
Kishan's Stellar Performance
Kishan, following a dream run in T20Is that culminated in India's ICC T20 World Cup 2026 victory, continued his incredible form in ODIs. In his return to the ODI set-up for the first time since 2023, he scored a quickfire 34 in the first ODI before smashing a blistering 79-ball 125 in the second, also completing 1,000 ODI runs in the process.
Speaking on JioStar 'Cricket Live', Swann highlighted that Kishan is the type of player who does whatever job is asked without complaints. He noted Kishan's brutal acceleration, reaching from fifty to a century in just 19 balls. "He came to the crease and was circumspect for his first fifty, but then took just 19 deliveries to go from 50 to 100, which is ridiculous," Swann said.
Sensible Cricket
Swann also hailed Kishan's knock as "sensible" cricket, adding that his shots were not about "crazy hitting or slogging." He explained, "It was not crazy hitting or slogging either. He was simply being sensible, picking his spots on the leg side, forcing the bowlers to change their lines, and then playing those gorgeous lofted extra-cover drives. It is a sign of sheer class."
Swann further noted that the shot wide of long-off is something Kishan has worked on over the last two years, turning a weakness into a strength, which is brilliant.
India's Bench Strength
On Team India's bench strength, Swann said India has a very strong domestic tournament in the IPL, which keeps producing players, but someone always misses out. He pointed out how different India is from the rest of the world, which is not as rich in talent pool, adding that he wishes England "were in India's shoes" heading into the Cricket World Cup next year.
"India has all these players vying for a few spots, and it brings out the best in them because they know they can't afford to have a couple of quiet games. Rohit was disappointed with 48 today," Swann said. He concluded, "India is in an enviable position right now, and a lot of teams around the world will look at them and think, 'With a World Cup coming up in South Africa, I wish we were in their shoes.'"
Match Summary
Afghanistan opted to field first, but centuries from skipper Shubman Gill (154 off 110 balls, with 22 fours and two sixes) and Ishan Kishan (125 off 79 balls, with 14 fours and seven sixes) helped India reach 402 all out in 49.5 overs. Nangeyaliya Kharoti (4/76) and Rashid Khan (3/48) were the top wicket-takers for Afghanistan.
In the chase, Rahmat Shah stood tall with an 89-ball 79, with eight fours and a six. Top-order batters Rahmanullah Gurbaz (41 in 33 balls, with seven fours and a six) and Sediqullah Atal (42 in 50 balls, with five fours and a six) also produced solid performances, but it was not enough as Brar (3/60), Arshdeep Singh (3/45), and debutant Prince Yadav (2/56) bundled out Afghanistan for 232 runs.
