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Ishan Kishan's coach Uttam Mazumdar has highlighted the importance of meditation in the recent success of the 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman. Mazumdar further stated that he wasn't surprised when Ishan stepped out to hit a six off the first delivery he faced in ODI cricket.
Ishan Kishan smashed a blistering 59 off 42 balls in his ODI debut, helping India win the first game against Sri Lanka by seven wickets. What stood out was his confidence to hit the first ball he faced in ODI cricket for a six by dancing down the track.
After the postponement of IPL 2021, Ishan Kishan took to meditating daily for 20 minutes. His coach asked him to envision his best knocks while thinking about his cricketing dreams coming true. Apart from meditation, the Indian youngster also took to practicing yoga for two hours daily under the advice of Uttam Mazumdar.
Speaking during an interaction with Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika, his coach explained how meditation has made Ishan Kishan completely fearless. He said:
"Since he started meditating, all his fears were gone. Confidence has also increased a lot. He had the skills to start his one-day journey with a six. So I was not surprised after he stepped out against Dhananjay de Silva. He also hit four off the first ball in his Ranji Trophy debut. In this way, he tries to reduce the pressure."
His coach explained how in modern-day cricket, it is not enough for batters to play just textbook shots as they need to keep the scoring rate up by playing aggressive strokes. Mazumdar added:
"Cricket has changed a lot now. You have to bat according to the text book and also push your team's score forward by playing big shots. In the first match, Prithvi and Ishan's fearless cricket helped the team win with 15 pvers to spare. I would want them to play with a similar approach in the upcoming game as well."
Had already told everyone that I would hit first ball for a six: Ishan Kishan
After his impressive ODI debut, Ishan Kishan revealed that he had already announced in the dressing room that he would try to hit the first ball he faced for a six.
Speaking with official broadcaster Sony after the game, Kishan said that his mind was already made up even before stepping onto the field. He said:
"Actually, everyone knew it, inside also I had already told everyone that once I go, wherever the first ball is, I will hit it for a six. Because the odds were in my favor - birthday plus a good pitch and I was playing my first ODI and I felt I could target him."
India will be looking to wrap up the series when they take on Sri Lanka in the second ODI in Colombo today.
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