Graeme Swann hails Ishan Kishan’s 'remarkable' century against Afghanistan

Ishan Kishan (Pic: PTI)

Following India's victory over Afghanistan in the second ODI, former England spinner Graeme Swann praised Indian batsman Ishan Kishan for slamming a quickfire ton.

Swann added that Kishan's seamless return made it seem as though he had never left the ODI lineup, calling his performance 'remarkable.'

Fresh off a spectacular T20I run that saw him finish as India's second-highest run-scorer in their 2026 ICC T20 World Cup triumph, Kishan converted his form into the longer format. Making his first ODI appearances since 2023, he followed 34 in the opener, followed by a 79-ball 125 in the second match, crossing the 1,000 ODI-run milestone in the process.

Swann was impressed by Kishan's blistering innings

Speaking on JioStar 'Cricket Live', Graeme Swann highlighted Kishan's acceleration, noting that the left-hander took a mere 19 deliveries to shift from his half-century to a hundred.

"He is the sort of player who will do whatever job you ask of him without any complaints. The fact that he's come back into the team and looks like he's never been away is remarkable. 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 stated.

Swann commended the maturity of the knock, explaining that it relied on tactical intelligence rather than mindless hitting.

"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. That shot, wide of long-off, is something he's worked on over the last two years," he added.

Reflecting on India's vast talent pool driven by the IPL, Swann envied the squad depth other nations lack ahead of next year's World Cup in South Africa.

"India has a very strong domestic tournament in the IPL, which continues to produce players, and at some point, someone is always going to miss out. Put yourself in the shoes of other nations around the world that don't have that luxury and would scrap just to get their best XI on the field and compete." Swann concluded.

(With PTI inputs)