Ishan fever grips Ranchi ahead of T20I

Ranchi: For Ishan Kishan, Friday’s T20I against the West Indies at JSCA International Cricket Stadium is more than another international assignment. It is a homecoming, and an opportunity to celebrate his comeback in front of his own people.Kishan last played an international in Ranchi in January 2023 against New Zealand and was dismissed for just four runs. Nearly four years on, he returns as an India player in red-hot form and with a renewed place in the national set-up.“The way Ishan is batting these days, every ground seems like his home ground. He’s been doing really well for the Indian team. But if anything, I would say he’s much more mature now. So we just hope…,”

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said on the eve of the second T20I here.That unfinished thought perhaps sums up the expectation around Kishan better than anything else.The city, meanwhile, has been waiting for this night.Ranchi will host a T20I for the first time since January 2023, and the appetite is evident in the scramble for tickets. With demand far outstripping supply, tickets are reportedly changing hands at more than twice their original price, reflecting the enthusiasm among the city’s cricket-starved fans.

The wait has felt longer because the venue has not hosted IPL matches for several years. An India game, therefore, carries a different pull, particularly with a local favourite returning to the national side at a time when Ranchi still shares a deep emotional connection with MS Dhoni.And the anticipation has only grown after India’s emphatic performance in the opening T20I, where they chased down 172 in just 14 overs.For Ranchi, though, Friday is not merely about another India victory.It is about getting its big cricket night back — and watching one of its own walk out in blue again, this time with the chance to make his homecoming unforgettable.