Ishan Kishan is the designated backup opener to Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in T20 cricket, for the Indian team management. Yet, he is the one who invariably plays many matches. With the crammed schedule dictating that players often get rest, either Rohit Sharma or KL Rahul is always unavailable.
In the case of the ongoing 5 matches T20I series against South Africa, since both Rohit Sharma (rested) and KL Rahul (injured) are missing, Ishan Kishan has to play the senior opener’s role. India suffered a major blow ahead of the five-match T20I series against South Africa as captain KL Rahul has been ruled out of the entire T20I series at home after suffering a groin injury.
The Indian team is thinking of veering away from its conservative approach to T20 batting. The 2022 T20I World Cup is barely five months away. Ishan Kishan has become the face of the ultra-aggressive brand of batting that India aspires to play in the 2022 T20I World Cup after the pathetic show in the previous T20I World Cup 2021, where the team was eliminated from the group stage.
Ishan Kishan Won’t Ask For A Spot When Rohit Sharma And KL Rahul Are There In The Team
Ishan Kishan’s role is to set the tempo up front for the other batters in the famed lie-up to provide a powerful finish. He has to make sure he scores enough runs so that he doesn’t fall off the radar too. On Thursday night, against a full-strength South African attack, his frailties against the new ball came to the fore.
His start wasn’t the prettiest to watch but there was no shortage of intent to go after the bowlers. For all his persisting technical deficiencies against pace and movement, Ishan Kishan can’t be accused of playing to conserve his wicket, which India’s famed top three of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli have often been accused of.
Ishan Kishan has often fallen trying to go for the big hit despite already ensuring a big over. His 76 off 48 balls at Kotla was the demonstration of the brand of cricket India wants to play: an all-out attack like many other successful international sides do. Ishan Kishan is settling into a role, but he knows he is not the first choice.
The 23-year-old Jharkhand cricketer said he will never ask the team management to pick him ahead of experienced cricketers like Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, who have done so well for the country.
“I think they (Rohit and Rahul) are world-class players and I won’t ask for my spot when they are there in the team. They have scored so many runs for our country, I cannot ask them to drop themselves and make me play in the first place,” Ishan Kishan said at the post-match press conference on Thursday night.
The 23-year-old who had an average IPL 2022 with Mumbai Indians helped India set a base for a big first-innings total, the highest in T20Is at Kotla.
Ishan Kishan Would Have To Prove Himself Or Do Well For The Team When An Opportunity Arises
Ishan Kishan slammed a brilliant 76 off 48 balls in the first T20I against South Africa but the visitors secured a seven-wicket win in Delhi. Ishan Kishan was India’s highest run-scorer on the night, scoring his third T20I fifty in his 11th outing for India. Having started the series well with the bat, with one eye on the 2022 T20I World Cup later this year, Ishan Kishan would look to extract the most from the remaining four games.
“My job here is to give my best in the practice session. Whenever I get my opportunity, I have to prove myself or do well for the team. I focus more on what I have to do. It’s up to the selectors and the coaches whatever they think,” he added.
While head coach Rahul Dravid and the selectors Chetan Sharma would be pleased that their backup opener is managing to play just the way they want their openers to perform, they will also be hoping both KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma get enough games in the lead-up to the 2022 T20I World Cup to be in the same zone as Ishan Kishan.
Ishan Kishan is playing a high-risk game. He is getting used to it. He is about to turn 24 and is only 11 T20Is old. If he gets on a roll here, India may just have to find a way to accommodate Ishan Kishan in the first XI when all options are available. It could be either boom-and-bust or high-risk-high-reward for Ishan Kishan.