Ishan Kishan keen on doing well for India A on South Africa tour

Young Jharkhand wicket-keeper batsman Ishan Kishan has made steady progress in the world of cricket in the last couple of years. He has grown and matured as a cricketer ever since he led the India U19 team to the finals of the ICC U19 World Cup in 2016. He then got his chance in the IPL for the Gujarat Lions. He failed to impress the big audiences. He went back to the drawing board and had a brilliant domestic season.

The 2017 edition of the IPL was a much improved one for him. And now, he finds himself in the India A squad announced for the South Africa tour. As per the recent quotes in Indian Express, Ishan Kishan spoke at length about his plans for the tour. He noted that he will b spending some time at a couple of domestic leagues before the tour which would serve as good match practice for him.

“The one thing that is good is that I have got a call in the Test team. Moreover, I will be playing the Chennai league for MRF as well as KCA tournament so I would get a good match practice before the tour as they are all days matches. So it would be a good practice for me before the tour starts,” quoted Ishan Kishan.

Talking about how things changed after the IPL this year, he noted that he has not done much nets since then. He had focused more on his fitness. About the wicket-keeping, he got his practice going at the NCA camp recently. “After the Indian Premier League concluded, I didn’t do nets much but was more focusing on my fitness training. Talking about wicket-keeping, I got a good practice in the NCA camp that was held recently,” he said.

On his time at the IPL

Speaking about his stint with the Gujarat Lions where he rubbed shoulders with players like Suresh Raina, Brendon McCullum, and Aaron Finch, Ishan Kishan expressed his satisfaction with the tournament. He noted that batting with these players helped him stay calm at crucial junctures of the game.

“They have been helpful in making me understand how to cope up with pressure situations. For instance, if I’m batting with him (McCullum), he helped me in keeping calm at crucial situations. There have been many senior players who were pretty helpful in telling me what I needed to do when I first get in and after settling down at the crease,” he remarked.

On his bigger plans

Commenting on how he wishes to make it to the national side, Kishan revealed that he is trying to get his basics right. He knows that if he gets his basics correct for the national side and then try to catch the attention of the selectors, things will fall in place for him. When asked about his preferred batting position, he conceded that he would like to bat at number 5.

“I would have to show that I’m ready for that place. For instance, I am training hard and focusing on all the requirements which are needed for an Indian wicket-keeper. All I can do is that I give my best and if I’m doing well it would obviously catch selectors’ eye. So, for now I’m just looking forward to performing well, produce good stuff with the bat as well as impress with my wicket-keeping. I would like to bat at number five,” Kishan said.