Sunrisers Hyderabad Ishan Kishan (ANI)
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan played a calm and aggressive hand in their thrilling five-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals, reversing a drive, hitting a liberty and chasing down a mammoth target of 229. Speaking after being named man of the match after getting 31 balls and 74 balls, Kishan made it clear that leading the team has not changed his style. “No, I think as a wicket-keeper also you have to do the same job. So I was keeping it simple because I felt it was a very good wicket to bat on and we just tried to restrict them under 230 and we managed to do that.” Handing over the captaincy duties to Pat Cummins, Kishan showed full respect to the Australian skipper. “It was a lot of fun captaining the team for seven matches and having Pat come in, which gave us extra bowling strength.
So I was really happy when he came into the team anyway because he’s a great captain anyway. “So I was just thinking more about batting and wicket-keeping than driving,” he added. Reflecting on SRH’s aggressive batting approach against the Rajasthan attack, Kishan said that confidence and clarity were key. “You just have to keep watching the ball and making your shots. You can’t get to a zone where you’re afraid to fail.
You just have to keep it simple and play your game. He also spoke about the challenge of facing a high total early in an innings, highlighting the importance of the power play. “When you are chasing a total like 228, you need a good power play. Having Head and Abhishek as openers makes the job easier even if they hit for four overs. I was just communicating with Abhishek. He knew exactly what was happening in the game and the run rate.” Kishan has built a vital 132 year partnership with
Abhishek Sharma
who smashed 57 off 29 balls, after SRH were set on 229 balls.
Heinrich Claassen
(29) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (36) then ensured the chase was completed with nine balls to spare in what became the fourth-highest successful chase in IPL history. Earlier in the day, Rajasthan Royals scored 228 for 6, supported by a sensational 103 from 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Despite the onslaught, SRH kept their nerve in the chase, as Kishan and Abhishek set the stage for a huge win. Kishan also reflected on his mindset at the crease. “Calmness is about skill set. You have to watch the ball and not pre-define it. It was a big pitch, so there were gaps. Just hit and enjoy.” When asked if this was the best stage of his football career, he was quick to downplay it. “No, I think my best is yet to come.”