Rohit Sharma enacts familiar mantra to unleash Ishan Kishan

It’s the 2010s. India are slowly starting to move away from the batters who have defined a generation, and are looking for something more flamboyant – probably in an attempt to keep up with the evolving nature of white-ball cricket.

During this period, several batters are thrown into the deep end, hoping that they will come through the rubble unscathed. Virat Kohli – largely considered one of the greatest batters to have played the sport, establishes himself quickly and casts himself as a permanent fixture in the side.

Others, though, aren’t as fortunate and aren’t as efficient when it comes to optimizing their opportunities. But there is an individual – an individual who plays for the Mumbai Indians (recently acquired for big money) and is touted for greatness.

Greatness, however, hasn’t been forthcoming so far. There have been glimpses of his innate genius, and he has also been a vital contributor to India’s greatest T20I triumph. Yet, something is amiss. He keeps getting chances and he keeps squandering them.

At times, he looks too languid, making people mistake his elegance for not caring. On other occasions, he attempts shots he knows he can nail but strokes others feel isn’t justified. In simpler words, this batter has divided opinion across the country.

Some feel he has been accorded more preferential treatment than others. Some feel it is warranted because of the vast reserves of talent he has. Almost everyone, though, is on the same page when talking about him not fulfilling his potential.

Fortunately for the batter, the man at the helm aka MS Dhoni has immense faith in his abilities. So much so that the Chennai Super Kings skipper tries utilizing him in different roles. And then, on one fine evening at Mohali, everything starts making sense.

A sumptuous 83-run knock later, people are quick to query who this batter is. They reckon they have seen him somewhere but can’t really recollect. At exactly that moment, one in the crowd chirps, “hang on, this is Rohit Sharma – the Rohit Sharma we have all been waiting for”.

The wicket-keeper blazed away to 89 at Lucknow against Sri Lanka

Cut to 2022. India have, in the recent past, been chastened by their relatively outdated approach, especially in T20I cricket. The 2021 T20 World Cup, which was to be the crowning glory of Kohli’s reign as captain, plummeted to become his worst nadir. More importantly, that tournament exposed the inherent flaws that existed in India’s T20I mindset.

Thus, when Ishan Kishan is introduced into the fold, everyone rejoices. Kishan, who has made a name for himself at the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, has been excellent at providing fast starts and has the ability to take down any bowling unit on the planet.

He has already made his T20I debut (against England in 2021) and left a mark. Unfortunately, it wasn’t followed up by anything substantial, meaning that when he was recalled for the rubbers against New Zealand and the West Indies, Kishan had to silence plenty of doubters.

Against the Kiwis, he made just a solitary appearance – one that fetched him 29 runs at a strike rate of 138.09. The essay was decent, considering he was playing second-fiddle to Rohit. But it wasn’t befitting of a player boasting as much belligerence as Kishan, meaning that India, deep down, needed something more.

When the West Indians came to town, Kishan, for some reason, retreated into his shell. He scored 71 runs in 3 matches and opened each time. Alarmingly, though, he notched up those runs at a strike rate of 85.5.

So, prior to the series against Sri Lanka, there were murmurs that he should be dropped. Not just because of his dwindling numbers, but also because India have an embarrassment of riches in the batting department.

Ishan Kishan repaid Rohit's faith at Lucknow

Rohit, though, was having none of it. He remained steadfast and backed Kishan to the tee, meaning that when the latter blazed away to 89 at Lucknow, the Indian skipper’s decision was vindicated.

Most tellingly, this 89-run knock was the sort of innings and impetus Kishan has been asked to provide since his introduction into the side. At the moment, there are many in India who can play the anchor role and canter at a strike rate of 125-130. Not many, however, can rattle along at breakneck speed like Kishan.

Post his indifferent series against the West Indies, the temptation would have been quite high to omit Kishan altogether. In Sanju Samson, India had a readymade wicket-keeping and opening alternative at their disposal too. Yet, they didn’t.

And that, even at such an early stage of Kishan’s career, seems a non-negotiable element. He can, at times, flatter to deceive. He will get out to loose strokes and will attempt shots that make you scratch your head. But on some other days, he will blitz bowling attack to smithereens.

His real value, as paradoxical as it might sound, might not be realized until he actually fails because that is when people will understand what he brings to the fore. Fortunately for him and India, Rohit seems to have acknowledged that.

He knows his MI teammate inside out and knows that failures will pile up along the way. But he also knows that when he gets going, India will, more often than not, comfortably win. In many ways, it is a trade-off that India had accepted all those years ago when Rohit was misfiring similarly.

Back then, almost everyone had knowledge of what Rohit could conjure. Yet, evidence of that ilk was hardly forthcoming. What he had, however, was a leader who understood his importance and the player he could become – just like the trust Rohit has been showering on Kishan.

Continuity is often an overused word in sport, especially when there are so many people chomping at the bit to seize a national team chance. But it certainly counts for something.

Under the previous regime, it wasn’t something that was commonplace. Players such as Kishan found it tough to express themselves because they never knew if they were going to play the next game.

Now, Kishan knows Rohit will back him to the tee, irrespective of a string of low scores. That Rohit found himself on the other end of the spectrum, only illustrates how smartly he has enacted a familiar mantra. Not just to Kishan’s betterment but to the joy of billions across the country.

And, as time passes, the extra games, despite the shoddy returns and deluge of alternatives, might start making a lot more sense too. Oh, and it could also lead to many believing that the Ishan Kishan they had been waiting for, has finally arrived!