Former Indian wicket-keeper bat Parthiv Patel has showered praise on Ishan Kishan for his brilliant knock in the second T20I against New Zealand at Raipur on Friday. Kishan, who was dismissed cheaply in the opening T20I, scored a blistering knock of 76 runs off just 32 balls with the help of 11 fours and four sixes.
Thus, Kishan played an instrumental role in India’s seven-wicket win. The hosts were chasing a par score of 209 runs and Kishan added 122 runs off 48 balls with captain Suryakumar Yadav after India lost two early wickets.
The left-hander was recently added to India’s squad after scoring 517 runs in 10 matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy while leading Jharkhand.
“There was never any question about his ability. All of us knew how he can bat. The question was how he would bat while making a comeback. We are seeing Ishan Kishan’s finished product here, but how those two years went, only Ishan Kishan can tell about how he worked hard and changed his mindset,” Parthiv Patel said on Star Sports.
“To come back after two years and get picked in the World Cup team, and to bat in the same way in international cricket, it’s not easy. It feels great when you get success after making a comeback. All of us know how difficult it is to make a comeback. Ishan Kishan got the fruits of his hard work,” he added.
Patel was asked about Kishan’s penchant for hitting on the off-side and the former gloveman said every left-hander likes the outside off-stump line.
“Every left-handed batter likes that line. If they get even a slight width, it becomes almost a natural shot for them, and it’s the same case with Ishan Kishan, especially with the technique he plays,” he replied.
“If he has to play on the off side, he stays slightly outside the leg stump so that he gets more room, and if he has to hit on the leg side, he comes almost on the off-stump so that he can use the pace. So he has power along with ability, and the belief that he has scored a lot of runs, even though the level might have changed. It is just about that self-belief,” Parthiv observed.
Kishan was awarded Player of the Match for his whirlwind knock.
