Exclusive: 'You cannot ignore him now' - Ishan Kishan's childhood coach demands World Cup spot after record-breaking SMAT heroics

Riding on an incredible century from captain Ishan Kishan, Jharkhand created history by winning their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Tournament title by beating Haryana by 69 runs on Thursday in Pune. Kishan, who last played an international match for India in 2023, scored 101 off 49 balls and was adjudged both the Player of the Final and Player of the Series for an outstanding performance.

After his record-smashing 517 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 197.33 in SMAT 2025, Uttam Mazumdar, the childhood coach of Ishan Kishan, feels that the selectors cannot ignore him now, and they should give him another chance.

“One of the historic nights for Jharkhand cricket”

In an exclusive interview with OTTPlay right after Jharkhand's maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 title, Mazumdar expressed that this is one of the historic nights for Jharkhand cricket.

Although Jharkhand has always produced good white-ball cricketers, including former India captain M.S. Dhoni, Shahbaz Nadeem, Saurabh Tiwary, and Varun Aroon, they were never able to lift the domestic T20 title.

However, with outstanding performances from Ishan Kishan, Kumar Kushagra, Robin Minz, and Anukul Roy, they have now become the new title holders of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Tournament.

“I am delighted. We are all delighted. It was long coming for us (Jharkhand Cricket). Congratulations to Ishan and the whole team,” said Uttam Mazumdar.

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“Before every big match, Ishan takes my blessings”

Uttam Mazumdar has played a pivotal role in Ishan Kishan's career since his childhood. The left-handed opener has had some ups and downs in recent times in his career. But despite that, he has shown immense calmness and resilience to get ready for yet another comeback.

“It was incredible to see how Ishan has handled himself. I am very proud of him. Last night, he himself had called and taken my blessings, and we had a long 30-minute conversation. I knew that he would be doing some great things for Jharkhand,” Mazumdar shared.

“Before every big game, he calls me, takes blessings from my family and me. That is a ritual he follows,” he added.

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“You cannot ignore him now”

Although Ishan Kishan had started the IPL 2025 with a bang with a century for Sunrisers Hyderabad, he was not able to continue the season in that manner.

But with the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Tournament, he has shown that he is back at his best and is ready to make another comeback into the Indian cricket team.

Ishan was named the Player of the Series for scoring 517 runs across 10 innings in the tournament, where he scored two centuries and two fifties, including a record-breaking 101 off 49 balls in the final against Haryana.

Mazumdar believes that it is very hard to ignore a talented player like Ishan Kishan, and he is on the right path to make a comeback to Team India.

Moreover, he feels that after what happened in the last two years with him, Kishan has become a more mature and better cricketer, which the selectors should and must notice before mega-events like the T20 World Cup come next year.

“He knew that he would have to score runs to get noticed again, and he has done that. Not only that, he has done well as a captain and also lifted the trophy. He is someone who has a world record in ODI cricket and scored in every opportunity for India in white-ball cricket. I am pretty sure that the selectors will take a look at his performances and call him back into the team,” Mazumdar expressed.

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“He should be in the World Cup squad”

Team India will have a key home series against New Zealand to prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Uttam Mazumdar feels Ishan Kishan is in the right frame of mind and form to be in the squad for the New Zealand series and then in the World Cup squad as well.

“If you look at his captaincy and behavior on the field, you can see he is much more mature now and is much more relaxed as a cricketer. He is someone who can give you flexibility at the top of the order and can give you quick starts, along with scoring bigger runs. So I feel he should be there in the Indian squad for the New Zealand series and in the World Cup team as well,” Uttam Mazumdar told OTTplay.

Along with being in the World Cup squad, Mazumdar feels that Sunrisers Hyderabad should send Ishan Kishan to open the batting along with Abhishek Sharma.

Although he acknowledged that Travis Head has done really well as an opener, he feels that Head could bat at number 3, and Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma can bring something fiery at the top of the order.

“In the IPL, I feel SRH should send Kishan at the top of the order with Abhishek Sharma, and Travis Head can bat at number 3. This would certainly make their top order look more threatening,” he conveyed.