CHENNAI: In Ishan Kishan’s first match for India - against England in Ahmedabad in March 2021 - he cut loose in devastating fashion. After being watchful against Jofra Archer, he climbed into Tom Curran and England’s other bowlers as he went on a boundary barrage.
By the time he was done, he had hit nine boundaries in 32 balls for his 56. For the fans of the Indian team, this was thrilling to watch as they were finally playing batters apt for this format. The conservatism, it seemed, was being shed.
But he hasn't been a permanent part of the shortest format. At the T20 World Cup, he played one game. Just like a few of the other batters, he wasn’t backed. That reflected in the vast discrepancy in his T20I numbers (SR 110 at an average of 26.2 across 8 games) compared to his domestic stats (131.6 at an average of 28.2 across 113 games).
And after a poor series against the West Indies (85 at 27), the pressure was on him to deliver against Sri Lanka. And deliver he did under the Lucknow lights. Even though the visitors’ bowling lacked the potency because of a few injuries, the southpaw showed why Mumbai Indians pushed the boat out to retain him at the IPL auctions.
Why talents like Kishan are gun in the shortest-format is their ability to keep finding the boundaries against all types of bowling at any stage. Against the visitors, who ultimately limped to a 62-run defeat, he showed just that. His 89 off 56 (10x4, 3x6) was so brutal by the time he got out, the Lankan bowlers had already lost control and were in damage-limitation mode.
That's what happens when a batter like Kishan is on the rampage. He started the assault on Chamika Karunaratne's gentle pace bowling for a hat-trick of boundaries all through the off-side. Karunaratne tried to vary his pace and tried to bowl full and wide but the result was the same.
In the next over, Lahiru Kumara travelled the distance in front of square before hitting him for four the next ball. The Lankans had begun to err in line and length and Kishan was finally able to free his arc after being starved off it in the West Indies series.
The introduction of Praveen Jayawickrama was a pivotal moment because the Indians have struggled against spin in the past. Kishan, though, gave room and greeted him with a ferocious drive down the ground.
Five balls later, Dushmanta Chameera, bowling a heavy rock at 146.4 kmph, was hooked for six. Leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay also went to the boundary immediately after the power play.
The last two paragraphs tell you everything you needed to know about his innings: five different bowlers had bowled one over after another to him but Kishan hit at least one boundary each in all of those overs. By the time he was done, he had also hit skipper Dasun Shanaka for a boundary.
Brief scores: India 199/2 in 20 overs (Ishan 89, Shreyas 57 n.o) defeat Sri Lanka 137/6 in 20 overs (Asalanka 53 n.o).
