The 2016 calendar year had just begun. As the Indian cricket team were getting hammered by Australia in the 5 match ODI series down under, the juniors were creating waves with their performances in the U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh.
The nature of the two sides’ performances was completely different, but there was one similarity. Both the sides were being captained by men from Jharkhand – one who was past his prime, and the other who had just begun his dream of donning the blue jersey of India.
However, it wasn’t all hunky-dory for the young Ishan Kishan. He did manage to lead his side to the final of the tournament, but his form with the bat would have left him disappointed with himself. With only 73 runs in 6 innings, the youngster’s dream of becoming the next MS Dhoni seemed to have taken a big hit.
Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant shone with the bat, and their performances were noted by the selectors. Of course, Sarfaraz had already made a name for himself with some noteworthy performances for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2015 edition of the IPL.
Unfortunately for Kishan, he did not have much to show apart from a few decent performances with the bat for Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy in 2015.
A youngster like him could have easily lost his way and faded away from the game, the way many others have done in the past. Luckily for Ishan though, he had Rahul Dravid by his side to help him through this rut and to guide him out of the well he had dug for himself.
The Indian cricket team legend did not give up on Kishan; instead, he sat down with him and gave him the belief that he could conquer the game and achieve his dreams.
“He could make out that I was not playing my natural game and this is where he sat down with me and asked me to play my natural game to not bother about the result. But then, I was in the midst of a rut and any shot which I played went straight to the fielders. It was a colossal learning curve for me," Kishan said in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda a couple of months ago.
Also Read: Ishan Kishan: A young prodigy creating ripples much like a certain MS Dhoni did
"Sir's influence did not end with the competition; he spoke to me once we came back and asked me not to focus only on the IPL but to target all forms, especially the longer version. He told me that since I will more often than not play the new ball, I have to work on the footwork, more so when I am new at the crease," he continued.
The IPL 2016 came soon after that and Kishan was picked up by the new franchise Gujarat Lions. He was not given too many opportunities and managed to feature in only five matches where he was used as a finisher – not to great effect.
However, that did not affect him as he took the positives from the tournament in terms of the lessons he was able to learn from the seniors and the international superstars on the side.
Ishan Kishan’s 2nd innings – Success in Ranji Trophy and IPL
Armed with all the mentorship advice received from Dravid, it was Kishan’s time to shine once the IPL got over. His moment of reckoning came in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season. Jharkhand created waves with their performances by reaching the semifinals of the tournament, and Kishan was at the epicentre of their success.
He finished as the second highest run-getter for his side with 799 runs in 10 innings, at a superb average of 57.07 – including two half-centuries and three centuries to his name. With a strike rate of above 80, he proved to be an aggressive batsman who liked to attack right from the beginning of the innings.
His good run of form led to him being included in India A’s squad that took on England, but he did not manage to get a game under his belt.
Kishan was retained by the Gujarat Lions for IPL 2017 and he played a much bigger role than he did last year.
He began the season playing in the middle order once again and did not manage to make a big mark for himself. However, he was soon promoted to the position of an opener and it was then that the world got to see a glimpse of what to expect from the youngster.
He played his natural attacking game with ease and took on the opposition bowlers like he had been playing them for ages. Along with the experienced Dwayne Smith, he gave the Lions some much-needed starts at the beginning of the innings.
He even became the third youngest player to score a fifty when he smashed the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers in GL’s last match of the season in Kanpur.
Being a wicket-keeper batsman hailing from Jharkhand, one cannot help but compare the youngster with MS Dhoni. However, Kishan needs to stay grounded and focussed and not lose his way, like many youngsters do in today’s world which is filled with distractions.
There is a sense of fearlessness evident in Kishan’s game, which is a joy to watch. With his friend and former U-19 teammate Rishabh Pant too making a big name for himself, it would be extremely interesting to see the duo play together for India. If they continue with the form they are currently showing, the dream could soon become a reality.
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