Ishan Kishan Reveals How His Chat With Suryakumar Yadav Helped Him To Get Success Over Tanveer Sangha

New Delhi: India’s wicketkeeper batter, Ishan Kishan, has revealed how his conversation with stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav helped him during the first T20I match at Vishakapatnam. In the match, Kishan told Suryakumar that he would take chances against Australia leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha no matter what and that he also wanted to counterattack, which was very much needed at the time while chasing a huge total of 209 runs.

The left-handed batter reached his half-century in just 37 balls with two fours and four sixes. The wicketkeeper batter also attempted to punish Sangha with a four and six. However, a third attempt to clear the ropes was caught by Short. Ishan walked back after smashing 58 off 39 balls, with two fours and five sixes. India was 134/3 in 12.3 overs. His blistering knock helped Men in Blue stay in the chase.

“I had a chat with Surya bhai that I’m going to take [on] this guy [Sangha] wherever he bowls because we need to get the runs and balls close,” Kishan said in the post-match press conference.

The 25-year-old wicketkeeper batter also shared more about the preparations against leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha. “Being a lefty batter and a legspinner bowling [I had to take a chance]. I knew how the wicket was because I kept for 20 overs. So it [the counterattack] was very much needed. When you’re chasing a total like 209, you need to take [on] a bowler, you need to target bowlers whom you can hit,” Kishan said

5⃣8⃣ Runs
3⃣9⃣ Balls
2⃣ Fours
5⃣ Sixes@ishankishan51 departs but not before he scored a breezy & stroke-filled half-century in the chase!

Follow the match https://t.co/T64UnGxiJU #TeamIndia | #INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/G7gRcvR1P9

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 23, 2023

“You can’t give too many runs to the backend batter, it won’t be easy for them to straightaway come and play those big shots. So I had to take my chances and I believed in myself. What I have done in my practice sessions was very much at play here when I had to go in for a big shot,” he said.

“This goes back a little, when we were playing the World Cup and I was not playing those matches. So in the practice sessions, I asked myself what is important for me right now, what I could do and I practiced a lot in the nets. I was talking to my coaches about everything, about the game, how to take the game deep, how to target those bowlers,” the 25-year-old added.

Kishan also hailed Rinku Singh, who held his nerves and hit the winning boundary, saying the way he finished off the game showed his ability to stay calm in the face of extreme pressure.

“Sometimes we need to play these games where you know when you are winning but the opponent runs you close. We get to learn a lot from these games. Rinku Singh has done very well in the IPL and in domestic cricket. Coming into this game against a world-class team like Australia and taking the team through to a win showed his ability. The shots he played were superb,” Kishan added.

A nail-biting finish but plenty of pleasant faces in and out of the dressing room in Vizag

Some BTS from #TeamIndia‘s win against Australia in Vizag #INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/TL67wcXavQ

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 24, 2023

Chasing 209, India lost Ruturaj Gaikwad (0) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (21) early, reducing the ‘Men in Blue’ to 22/2. However, a 112-run stand between Kishan (58 in 39 balls, with two fours and five sixes) and Suryakumar Yadav (80 In 42 balls, with nine fours and four sixes) brought India back into the game.

An able follow-up act by Rinku Singh (22* in 14 balls, with four boundaries) took India home despite the loss of some wickers in a flurry.

Tanveer Sangha (2/47) was the pick of the bowlers for the Aussies while Matthew Short, Sean Abbott and Jason Behrendorff took a wicket each.