“The energy Virat Kohli possesses is something I wish to match” - Ishan Kishan 

Ishan Kishan, who hammered 56 from 32 balls on his T20I debut against England, revealed that he is keen on learning a lot from his captain Virat Kohli and wishes to emulate his energy.

Ishan Kishan and Kohli (73 not out off 49) featured in a 94-run stand for the second wicket as India chased down a 165-run target with ease to level the five-match series against England. During the partnership, Kohli was constantly seen guiding and encouraging the youngster out in the middle.

Talking about his match-winning knock at a virtual press conference, Ishan Kishan admitted that batting alongside Kohli was a 'proud' feeling. The 22-year-old said in this regard:

“It was a proud feeling for me to play alongside Virat Kohli. Earlier, I used to see him on TV. His energy and attitude on the ground, we could all see it on the screen. But watching it all unfold in front of your eyes is very different. The energy he possesses is something I wish to match. The way he plays and the way his appearance is on the ground, there is so much to learn from him.”

After Ishan Kishan was dismissed for 56, Kohli took the team home with another unbeaten knock in a chase. He finished off the game with a four and a six off Chris Jordan.

Top game for us 👍 pic.twitter.com/wpY25XEMAf

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) March 14, 2021

Virat Kohli told me to play my shots: Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan further revealed that his captain gave him the freedom to bat the way he wanted, which took a lot of pressure off him. The debutant elaborated in this regard:

“The way he talks and explains how and what you can do, the game becomes easier. He takes the pressure away from you. You don’t have to worry. You can play freely. He told me to play my shots. He even told me if I liked to pull against bouncers and was comfortable (doing so), I can go for it without having to worry. Off the field and on the field, there are many things to learn. I’ll make sure I can learn as much as I can from him over the course of this T20I series.”

Apart from Kohli and Ishan Kishan, India’s bowlers also came up with an impressive show to restrict England to 164 for 6.

For his outstanding half-century on T20I debut 💥💥 & a match-winning one at that, @ishankishan51 is our Man of the Match tonight 🤙🏻🤙🏻#TeamIndia 🇮🇳 #INDvENG @Paytm Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/gU4AGqh8Um pic.twitter.com/Pn2VZw3vOr

— BCCI (@BCCI) March 14, 2021

After Kohli won the toss and decided to bowl first, Bhuvneshwar Kumar trapped the dangerous Jos Buttler lbw in the first over. Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur then stifled England with identical figures of 2 for 29.