‘My intent wasn't good enough’ – Ishan Kishan reveals lessons from West Indies series after match-winning 89 against Sri Lanka

After enduring a hard time against West Indies, Ishan Kishan brought his A-game out in the first T20I against Sri Lanka. The southpaw attacked bowlers from the outset and played some delightful shots at the Lucknow stadium. He even looked set to slam his maiden hundred at the highest level. However, he fell prey to opposition skipper Dasun Shanaka after scoring 89 off 56 deliveries. Nonetheless, his efforts took India to a comfortable 62-run win.

Ishan was delighted with his performance and the same was evident in his remarks after the game. Admitting he wasn’t ‘positive enough’ against West Indies, the wicketkeeper-batter said he backed his natural game which paid off for him. Notably, the 23-year-old is also determined to get a place in the squad for the T20 World Cup, which will take place later this year in Australia.

You need to hit gaps preparing for the T20 World Cup in Australia: Ishan Kishan

“I got to learn a lot from the West Indies series. My intent wasn’t good enough, I wasn’t positive enough. I was just trying to keep it simple here – watch the ball and play my shots. Pull is my favourite shot, I enjoy playing that shot. It’s a positive thing for the batting unit as well because you need to hit gaps preparing for the world cup in Australia,” said Kishan in the post-match conversation.

“I was talking to Shreyas about the mid-wicket region. He said if you middle the ball you could get a boundary. If you hit the gaps you can get two. And it went my way,” he added. Notably, the southpaw scored 71 runs in three T20Is against West Indies earlier this month with his strike rate being just over 85.

Although his lack of intent was highly criticized, the team management kept faith in him and the southpaw delivered. Skipper Rohit Sharma was also pleased with Kishan’s performance. “I know Ishan for a long time now. I know the mindset he has. I know the ability he has as well. It was just about getting the kind of game that he had today. It was so pleasing to watch from the other end. The way he constructed the innings was so good,” said the 34-year-old after the game.