Ishajn Kishan, Young India’s opener, said the support he’s had from senior members of the squad including captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid has given him a boost despite a string of poor games against West Indies in the recently concluded T20I Series given a good feeling.
Ishan Kishan said the likes of Rohit, Dravid and Virat Kohli kept telling him the team believed in his abilities and he shouldn’t worry about anything but go out and play his natural game. Ishan hit 71 runs in 3 games against the West Indies but he didn’t look comfortable in any of the three T20is and managed to score with a paltry 85 batting average.
But, Ishan fired from all weapons against Sri Lanka in the first T20I in Lucknow on Thursday when he hit a game-winning 89 from just 56 balls, hitting 10 boundaries and 3 sixes. Ishan seemed confident and felt at home in the circle. He didn’t try to hit the ball too hard like he did against the West Indies but instead smashed away the bad balls with ease.
India vs. Sri Lanka, 1st T20I: Highlights
Ishan got another opportunity to open alongside Rohit Sharma after Ruturaj Gaikwad suffered a wrist problem and the Mumbai Indians’ young star took full advantage of it. Ishan and Rohit added 111 for the opening stand in just 11.5 overs while India hit 199 before sealing a 62-run victory.
After his superb 56-Ball 89 in the first T20I against Sri Lanka, @ishankishan51 spoke about his conversations @ImRo45 and the inputs he received from the #TeamIndia Captain. #INDvSL | @Paytm pic.twitter.com/jkq0qOxcEP
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 25, 2022
“The seniors in the team always want a youngster to be in good headroom. Whether it’s Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid or Virat Kohli, they know how a youngster feels when they’re not doing well. When I haven’t performed well against them West Indies, they stood with me and told me, ‘We know your talent, we know what you can do for the team, we have faith in you, never think we doubt you,'” Ishan told press, after India won the first T20I.
“When a youngster hears words like that, they get a lot of confidence. Those little things while you’re hitting the nets guide you. They told me it’s not always about hitting hard. We learn all those things, eh whether we score a goal or not.”
“ROHIT TALKED TO ME ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ROTARY STRIKE”
Meanwhile, Ishan also stressed that Rohit Sharma specifically spoke to him about the importance of the rotation of the strike.
“Rohit kept telling me that he knows I can hit the long ball whenever I want. But he told me that in the upcoming games it’s important to work on my singles rotation. Rohit helped me on that aspect helped. He told me to try the rotation hitting the nets. He told me I can hit the ball whenever I want, but by rotating hits I can also put pressure on the bowlers,” he added added.
After taking an early lead in the series, India are aiming for an unbeatable 2-0 win against Sri Lanka in the 2nd T20I in Dharamsala on Saturday.
