SMAT 2025-26: Ishan Kishan Smashes Century in Final, Equals Abhishek Sharma’s Record

Ishan Kishan delivered a big statement with the bat as he smashed a century for Jharkhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 final against Haryana at the MCA Stadium in Pune.

Kishan reached his hundred off just 45 balls, sealing the milestone in style with a one-handed six over cover off pacer Anshul Kamboj. The shot brought the crowd to its feet and summed up his fearless approach.

This was Kishan’s sixth T20 century overall and his fifth in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. With that, he equalled Abhishek Sharma’s record for the most centuries in the tournament’s history.

The left-hander has been in red-hot form throughout the season. This was his second hundred of SMAT 2025-26, after his unbeaten 113 off 50 balls against Tripura last month, which had already set the tone for his campaign.

Kishan’s knock in the final ended on 101 off 49 balls. He was bowled by Sumit Kumar in the 15th over, but not before putting Jharkhand in a strong position with his aggressive strokeplay.

His innings was packed with clean hitting and quick running between the wickets. Haryana’s bowlers struggled to contain him once he got going, especially during the powerplay and early middle overs.

The final-century also took Kishan to the top of the SMAT 2025-26 run charts. He now has 517 runs in 10 innings at a staggering strike rate of 197.32, making him the most dominant batter of the season.

For Kishan, this performance carries extra weight. With the wicketkeeper-batter currently out of the Indian national setup, his SMAT run has underlined his hunger and ability to change games in the shortest format.

Once again, Ishan Kishan showed why he remains one of the most explosive T20 batters in Indian domestic cricket, delivering on the biggest stage when it mattered most.