Ishan Kishan was one of the consistent performers for Mumbai Indians in the last edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The youngster had scored 275 runs in 14 outings to become a regular in the final eleven.
But this time around, he has featured in only one game. Replacing Yuvraj Singh in Mumbai’s previous outing against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kishan played an innings of 17 runs.
“He (Yuvraj) is a big player and obviously when you are replacing him, people have a lot of expectation. It does add to the pressure. As a youngster, you also get to learn from those situations. If you can handle the pressure and deliver, then it will help you in the longer run,” Ishan said on Tuesday.
The youngster agrees that in T20 cricket, the competition is intense.
“When it comes to T20 cricket, there is no certainty for a place. It’s all about the team (combination) and figuring out who do you need at what time. As an youngster, we have to be in our toes and give our 100 per cent when the opportunity comes,” he said on the eve of Mumbai’s fixture against Kings XI Punjab.
READ: IPL 2019, MI vs KXIP preview: Mumbai looks to avenge away defeat against Punjab
After warming the first four matches, how did he keep himself motivated?
“When you know that you won’t feature in the first few matches, then you need to improve your game so that whenever an opportunity comes your way, you can perform and prove yourself. I spoke to the coaches and also with Zak pa (Zaheer Khan). He told me to practise and improve my focus and make sure whenever I get a chance, I make the most of it,” Ishan said.
The 21-year-old led India U-19 team to the final of the World Cup in 2016. In the final, the team was beaten by West Indies and a youngster, Alzarri Joseph, had left the Indian batsmen surprised.
Three years later, Alzarri and Ishan have reunited again, this time as team-mates at Mumbai Indians.
After a spectacular beginning - scalping six wickets for 12 runs against Sunrisers - Alzarri has become the talking point and Ishan is happy to see him come so far.
“In U-19, he did very well. He helped the West Indies win the final. Now, he is in a different rhythm. He gives his best even at the nets. We get to learn from him,” he said.
“He’s bowling well. Ups and downs are part of the game, but he is shy and keeps within himself. It’s a good thing. He is looking better than the U-19 days. The line and length has improved and he has learned how to read a batsman. That’s a plus for our team.”
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