"Ishan Kishan was on a mission" - Aakash Chopra picks the opener as his Player of the Match for the 1st India vs Sri Lanka T20I

Aakash Chopra has picked Ishan Kishan as his Player of the Match for the first T20I between Team India and Sri Lanka.

Kishan smashed 89 runs off just 56 deliveries to put to rest the demons from his underwhelming performances in the preceding series against the West Indies. He strung together a 111-run opening partnership with Rohit Sharma to help the hosts set a daunting 200-run target for the Lankans.

While reviewing the match in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was effusive in his praise for Ishan Kishan. He said:

"My Player of the Match has to be Ishandaar Kishan. Kishan was on a mission because I was one of those people who were saying that he is a disruptive, destructive player but the strike rate is down currently."

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that questions were being asked after the diminutive opener's insipid performances against the Windies. Chopra elaborated:

"He was roaming around a run-a-ball in the entire West Indies series and that's not ideal. You want the left and right-handed combination, you know he has the ability but if you don't do that job consistently at the international level, then questions will be asked."

Kishan managed just 71 runs at a lowly strike rate of 85.54 in the three-match T20I series against the Caribbean side.

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"Ishan Kishan didn't flounder but shone under pressure" - Aakash Chopra

Ishan Kishan was the aggressor in his partnership with Rohit Sharma

Aakash Chopra highlighted that Kishan's spot was at stake going into the encounter. He explained:

"Ruturaj [Gaikwad] is sitting out, after that Prithvi Shaw is there and then they will say KL Rahul can also open. There are plenty of options, in fact Virat Kohli and Rohit [Sharma] can also form a pair. So, he didn't flounder but shone under pressure."

The 44-year-old concluded by stating that Kishan seemed to be back to his former self. Chopra observed:

"What an amazing knock he played. He hit fours and sixes in his 89-run knock and demolished the opposing team. He got one life for sure, but the manner in which he continued to bat, the areas in which he kept playing his shots, the intent he showed - this is the Ishan Kishan we generally know."

Kishan's knock was studded with 10 fours and three sixes. It was his second fifty in T20I cricket and also his highest score at the international level.