Gujarat Lions playing 11 from Ishan Kishan's IPL debut in 2016

One of India's most promising young talents Ishan Kishan celebrates his 26th birthday, today, July 18. The wicketkeeper-batter debuted for India in 2021 and has played over 60 games across formats.

While his ODI double century against Bangladesh continues to be his most memorable moment donning the Indian jersey, Kishan made a name for himself in the IPL. His partnerships with Rohit Sharma at the top of the order for the Mumbai Indians (MI) have been crucial to their success over the past few years.

Kishan joined the franchise in 2018 and played a role in their title in 2019. However, he enjoyed his best IPL campaign the following year (2020) when MI made it back-to-back titles. Kishan scored 516 runs at an average of over 57 and a strike rate of 145.76 to help MI produce a dominant 2020 IPL season.

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Yet, it is worth remembering that his first IPL stint wasn't with MI and started in 2016 with the now-defunct Gujarat Lions.

As we celebrate Kishan on his birthday and hope to see more of him in the IPL and for Team India, here is a flashback to the Gujarat Lions' playing XI from his IPL debut (2016) and where the players are now.

Openers - Aaron Finch, Brendon McCullum

Australia's former captain Aaron Finch was one of the openers in Kishan's debut game against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2016. He top-scored in that match with a 47-ball 74 to help the Lions win by five wickets.

The right-handed batter was part of the Aussie side that won the 2015 ODI World Cup and later led them to the 2021 T20 World Cup title.

Finch announced his retirement from international cricket in early 2023 but continues to play in other domestic leagues, including the Big Bash League (BBL). The 37-year-old recently played in the World Championship of Legends, which ended only a few days back and helped Australia advance to the semi-final.

Finch enjoyed an impressive run, scoring 203 runs at an average of almost 34 and a strike rate of 169.16 in six games. He also does part-time commentary for Fox Cricket and Triple M.

Former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum was Finch's opening partner for the Gujarat Lions on Kishan's IPL debut. The champion cricketer, who led the Blackcaps to the 2015 ODI World Cup final, retired from international cricket in February 2016.

McCullum is currently the head coach of the England Test side with the popular 'Bazball' for the side's all-out attacking approach being named after him.

Middle-order - Suresh Raina (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja

One of IPL's all-time greats, Suresh Raina was the captain of the Gujarat Lions during Kishan's debut season in 2016. The four-time IPL champion with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) helped the Lions finish atop the points table in 2016.

Raina retired from international cricket in 2020 and other forms of cricket, IPL and domestic, in 2022. The southpaw was recently in action during the World Championship of Legends for the victorious Indian team. However, Raina averaged only 18.42 at a strike rate of 119.44 in seven games.

The former ODI World Cup winner occasionally does pre and post-match analysis for India matches for Jio Cinema.

Wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik followed Raina in Gujarat Lions' batting order on Kishan's IPL debut and scored a crucial 26-ball 41*. The 39-year-old helped India win their maiden T20 World Cup title in 2007 and has been a regular in the commentary box for various tournaments over the past year or two.

Despite not featuring for India since the 2022 T20 World Cup, he continued playing domestic cricket until walking away from all forms of cricket at the end of the 2024 IPL season.

Left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja came in next at No.5 for the Lions in the PBKS clash. While he was dismissed for a 12-ball eight, he produced a game-changing spell of 2/30 with the ball earlier in the contest.

Jadeja was part of the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning Indian squad and announced his T20I retirement after the tournament. However, the 35-year-old remains a vital cog for India in the other two formats.

Kishan batted at No.6 on his IPL debut, scoring a quickfire 11 off eight deliveries in the winning cause. The southpaw played two seasons for the Gujarat Lions before moving to MI in 2018.

The 26-year-old last played for India late last year but featured for MI in this year's IPL. However, Kishan opted out of the South African tour midway for personal reasons, leading to his exclusion from the BCCI annual contract list.

The talented wicketkeeper will look to return to the national reckoning with strong domestic performances.

All-rounders - Dwayne Bravo, James Faulkner

Two-time T20 World Cup winner Dwayne Bravo was the first of two all-rounders in the Gujarat Lions' playing XI during Kishan's IPL debut. The West Indian starred with the ball in the encounter with figures of 4/22 in 4 overs.

Bravo has been CSK's bowling coach since his IPL retirement in 2022, helping the franchise win a fifth title in 2023. He also took over the same position for the Afghanistan team in the 2024 T20 World Cup as they advanced to their first-ever semi-final in an ICC event.

Bravo plays for the Texas Super Kings (TSK) in the Major League Cricket (MLC) tournament. The former West Indian all-rounder has picked up two wickets in three outings at an impressive economy of 7.42 in the ongoing MLC 2024.

Former Australia all-rounder James Faulkner was slotted to bat at No.8 in Kishan's IPL debut game. The 34-year-old played for Australia from 2012 to 2017 and continued featuring in T20 leagues until 2022.

Faulkner was the Player of the Match in the final of Australia's triumphant 2015 ODI World Cup run. He is currently an active participant in domestic cricket with Tasmania, helping their development in various ways.

Bowlers - Praveen Kumar, Pradeep Sangwan, Sarabjit Ladda

The three specialist bowlers - Praveen Kumar, Pradeep Sangwan, and Sarabjit Ladda combined for no wickets in eight overs of Ishan Kishan's IPL debut game.

While Praveen played for India from 2007 to 2012 only, he continued in the domestic circuit until 2018. He finally announced his retirement from all forms of the game in 2018 but was seen on the field last in the 2023 Legends League.

Praveen occasionally gives interviews on YouTube channels and podcasts, among others on cricket-related topics and his struggles with stress-related illness.

Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Sangwan was among the popular figures in the IPL despite never playing for India. However, he last played competitive cricket in the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).

The Gujarat Titans bought Sangwan in the IPL 2022 auction but he hasn't played a game in the league since 2018.

No.11 Ladda was a leg-spinner who enjoyed a 54-match domestic career in India across formats. He was part of the title-winning MI New York squad in the 2023 Major League Cricket (MLC) season. Ladda was last season in action during the Legends League Cricket tournament last year.