Ishan Kishan scripted history in the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday, surpassing Suryakumar Yadav's record for the most runs by an Indian batter in a calendar year in T20 internationals. He also completed 2,000 runs in the format.
Kishan achieved both milestones with an explosive 61 off just 32 balls, hitting five sixes and five fours. His knock took his 2026 tally to 1,220 runs in 37 matches, surpassing Suryakumar's previous record of 1,164 runs, set in 2022.
The left-handed batter has enjoyed an outstanding year, averaging 35.88 at a strike rate of 171.58, with one century and eight half-centuries to his name.
Kishan also became the seventh Indian to score 2,000 T20I runs, reaching the milestone in his 69th innings. He is the third-fastest Indian to achieve the feat in terms of balls faced, taking just 1,345 deliveries. Only Abhishek Sharma (1,024 balls) and Suryakumar Yadav (1,164 balls) have done it quicker.
His impressive run in 2026 has been boosted by his contribution to India's title-winning campaign at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, where he scored 317 runs. He has continued his strong form in bilateral cricket, establishing himself as one of India's leading performers in the format.
Kishan now has 2,016 T20I runs in 69 matches, including 206 fours and 96 sixes.
In terms of innings taken to reach 2,000 runs, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav lead the Indian list with 56 innings each. KL Rahul achieved the milestone in 58 innings, followed by Abhishek Sharma in 64 and Kishan in 69 innings. With his record-breaking performance against New Zealand, Kishan has further strengthened his position among India's most successful T20I batters.