Ishan Kishan: How World Cup campaign helped him become better batter despite playing just two matches

Ishan Kishan played a crucial knock of 58 off 39 balls as India chased down a record target of 209 against Australia to clinch the first T20I on Thursday. Besides taking responsibility and helping India build a foundation for the chase, Kishan’s aggressive batting against leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha was also impressive. Kishan hit the spinner for 30 runs in just 10 deliveries.

After the match, the 25-year-old spoke about how the time he spent with Team India during the World Cup 2023 and the training he received during the same period helped him improve his batting and finishing skills.

“During the World Cup, when I wasn’t playing, I asked myself before every practice session ‘What is important for me now. What I could do. I practised a lot in nets. I was constantly talking to the coaches about the game, how to take the game deep. How to target certain bowlers,'” Kishan said at the post-match press conference.

“Being a lefty against leg-spinner, I know how the wicket was as I had kept for 20 overs. When you are chasing 209, you need to target a bowler, who you can hit. I had a chat with Surya bhai that I’m going to take (on) this guy (Sangha) wherever he bowls because we need to get the runs and balls close.

“You can’t leave too many runs for the batters at the back. It won’t be easy for them to play the big shots straight away. I had to take my chances and I believed in myself.”

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The 112-run partnership between Kishan and stand-in skipper Surykumar Yadav, who scored 80, was crucial to India taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Kishan said communication was the key between the batters as they forged the match-winning stand.

“We lost two wickets early and partnership was very important. I played with Surya bhai in the same team in IPL also so I know how he plays, what shots he can play… the communication I think it was very good today in the middle. We were talking to each other about which bowler we have to take, we have to keep on rotating the strike.”

Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi went for 54 runs in his four overs as Josh Inglis hit a century and Australia scored 208 batting first at Visakhapatnam.

“It was not easy for spinners, even when the Australian spinners were bowling they went for runs,” Kishan said. “I know he is a very good bowler, he has done well in the past matches. You have seen the wicket, it was not easy, the ball was not doing much, the ball was travelling a lot. Josh Inglis, the way he batted, and at the same time he had Steve Smith at the other end.

“We need to focus on what we could have done, we will get wickets like these in upcoming games too. Bishnoi, he just needs to back himself a bit more and he will do very well in the upcoming games,” he added.

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Kishan also praised Rinku Singh for his late heroics as the left-hander scored 22 off 14 balls to help India cross the line.

“Sometimes we need to play these matches where you know you are winning it easily and at the same time the match gets close, so we get to learn a lot from those games where we have to take singles, where we have to hit in the gaps.

“Rinku, you know, he has done so well in IPL and then domestic matches. And coming here playing against Australia, showing his calmness the shots he played, I think, he was superb today,” Kishan added.