NEW DELHI: Two years away from international cricket forced Ishan Kishan into an uncomfortable but necessary period of introspection. Stripped of certainty and spotlight, he confronted the one question that mattered most: "Can I again wear that India jersey and perform?"

His answer came emphatically - and explosively.

In just his second international outing since returning, Kishan tore into New Zealand's bowling with a breathtaking 76 off 32 deliveries, turning a daunting chase of 209 in the second T20I into a near-formality. It was the kind of innings that didn't just win a match, but announced a comeback.

After collecting the Player of the Match award, Kishan reflected on the phase that reshaped him. Asked what he told himself when he was dropped from the national setup, the left-hander revealed the simplicity of his mindset. "I asked myself just one thing - can I do it again or not? And I had a very clear answer," he said.

That clarity translated into action back home. Kishan embraced the domestic grind, rebuilding from the ground up by featuring in tournaments like the Buchi Babu Trophy and the DY Patil T20. The hard yards paid off in spectacular fashion as he went on to captain Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title, topping the charts with a 500-plus run season.

For Kishan, the journey back wasn't about shortcuts - it was about belief, patience and proving, first to himself, that he still belonged.

Ishan Kishan rewrites record books with 21-ball half-century

"I was just looking to score runs (in domestic cricket). Sometimes it's important to do it for yourself, to answer your own questions about how you're batting and whether you're capable of playing for India. That's why it was important for me to play domestic cricket and get runs.

"The good part was that we won the trophy as well, and I carried that confidence here. So it was a pretty good day for me," the 'Pocket Dynamo' from Patna said.

For Kishan, it was the mindset that mattered more than anything else and that is why he was able to dominate even when India were down at 6 for 2 having lost Abhishek Sharma.

"I was focusing more on what I had to do today and being in a very good headspace for this game. Sometimes you understand that you're batting well. I just needed to get runs somewhere to answer my questions. Even if I got out, I just wanted to play good cricket, that was it."

Even though he batted at a strike-rate of close to 240, Kishan said that he avoided risky shots.

"We were looking not to take risks, not to go cross-batted, but I was still looking to score as many runs as possible in the powerplay. At the end of the day, when you're chasing a 200-plus total, you have to get good runs in the powerplay."

His skipper Suryakumar Yadav, a batter who is in a league of his own in T20 cricket, felt that he has never seen someone dominate like this in a pressure situation.

"I don't know what Ishan had for lunch in the afternoon or what pre-workout he had before the game, but I've never seen anyone bat at 6/2 in that manner and still end the powerplay around 67 or 70. I thought it was incredible.

"Chasing 200 or 210, this is what we want from batters - to go out there, express themselves, be happy in their own space. And that's exactly what he did today."

In fact, Surya jokingly said that he was "angry" with Kishan for not giving him strike during powerplay.

"I was angry he didn't give me strike in the powerplay, but that's okay. I had some time, played eight or 10 balls, and I knew that later on, when I had time, I could cover it up."

Having got his first half-century after 23 innings, Surya did look like a relieved man.

"As I've said before, I was batting really well in the nets. Everything I did back home over the last two or three weeks helped. I got a good break to spend time with my family and friends, had good practice sessions, and I'm really enjoying what's happening right now."

(With PTI Inputs)