From losing out on a central contract from the BCCI to hammering an unbeaten maiden IPL century, SRH batter Ishan Kishan’s journey so far has been one of redemption for the youngster. The 26-year-old Kishan unleashed sheer hell over the measly RR bowlers, lighting the Hyderabad skies up with 6 sixes and slashed 11 fours en route to his 106* in just 47 balls, powering the Pat Cummins-led side to a mammoth total of 286: one run short of the highest-ever total set in IPL history. Kishan came out to bat at No. 3 for SRH in the first match of the 2025 season and added 85 runs for the second with Travis Head (67 runs from 31 balls) and 72 runs for the third wicket with Nitish Kumar Reddy (30 runs from 15 balls). The young Indian opener though had a turbulent journey to his crowning moment today. After being dropped from the national side due to a perceived lack of interest in playing domestic cricket, it was all down to old-school grit and grind to fight his way back into prominence. Kishan’s determination to better himself reportedly led to the young batter training by himself at his own academy in Patna religiously, in search of perfection. “He chose to train at his own academy in Patna, never traveling elsewhere, which allowed him to stay focused and put in consistent, dedicated work in his own environment,” the source added. “He trained in two sessions every day. The morning session focused on cricket skills at his academy, lasting 2-3 hours and being very intense. In the evening, he would either do gym workouts or speed training for 1-2 hours,” a source, who has been primary witness to Kishan’s hard work, told PTI. Well, for the present, one can truly rejoice in his hard work paying off, as SRH cruised to a sensational 44-run win, credit to Kishan’s fiery blitzkrieg. “Ishan today was incredible. Just trying to play with freedom. The boys have created a blueprint for the rest of the year,” stated SRH skipper Cummins in a post-match interview. Playing seven games on such a shirtfront, Kishan will make a serious case for himself to make a comeback to the national side even though the T20 team bears a settled look. (with agency inputs)