Follow UsIshan Kishan said he didn’t want to go to any other Indian Premier League franchise and is glad that Mumbai Indians got him back in the 2022 mega auction. The dynamic wicketkeeper-batter from Jharkhand emerged as the most expensive player from the auction, getting a whooping sum of INR 15.25 crore.
"The franchise has always been very helpful, has backed me and worked on me. I can never have complaints. All I need to do is work hard on my game, reciprocate by playing good cricket. The way they've put their belief in me and invested in my future, all I need to do is follow the processes that have been laid out," the 23-year-old told the Times of India.
"I knew MI would go for me. That wasn't the worrying bit. The worrying part was the rising price because MI needed to save on money to build the rest of the team. It wasn't just about me. For a minute there, I must admit, my heart skipped a beat.
"There's a reason why I wanted to come back to MI. They know me, they understand my game and I know my franchise and how it works. Because I've been part of this family, I was sure I didn't want to go anywhere else. I've been here four years and the bonding has been amazing. We've won two trophies, stood for each other and with each other, they know my cricket and I know they will take care of me. So, I didn't want to go anywhere else."
Talking about his relationship with Mumbai head coach Mahela Jayawardene, Kishan said: "Mahela has helped me a lot with my batting. I love hitting sixes, it comes naturally. So, that's what I would do every time I hit the nets - pick on a spinner. Mahela sir has worked on me a lot. As soon as he would see me getting any bit casual, he'd quietly come over to where I was batting and tell me, 'Boy, you have to focus. There's a match coming'.
"He has always been around and has been a very calming influence. When he came to know I was sleeping very late, not on time, sometimes he'd call at 1 am in the morning to check. And if I picked the phone, he'd be like 'oh, so you haven't slept yet?' And I'd sheepishly reply: 'I was just going to'."
Kishan featured in all three T20Is against West Indies but struggled to score at a decent pace. The left-handed batter opened the innings in all three encounters but could only score 71 runs at a horrible strike rate of 85.54. Kishan, in particular, didn’t have a great time against offspiner Roston Chase who got him out twice in the series.
“Earlier I used to play spin well. But the pace of the game has increased and the demand for making quick runs has resulted in us losing our basics. Maybe we were better batters 2-3 years ago than now. Time is less, you get nets only for a day after quarantine and then you are down to play the match. You don't get time to work on your basics. But a player should know what the deficiencies in his game are.”
Kishan said he wants to play as a wicketkeeper-batter in every single game but also acknowledged how good Rishabh Pant has been in all three formats of the game. "Obviously, I want to play every game as a wicket-keeper-batsman. But we have Rishabh, who's done so well for the team. So, I must make do with the opportunities I get, which is fine with me. Competition is always a healthy thing.
"Oh yes, he's a very good friend. Whenever both of us are around, you'll find us hanging out a lot with each other. We just keep watching movies whenever we find the time. We also talk a lot of cricket with each other - about the game, what could've been done differently. I speak my mind with him, and he does the same. Never once has it crossed my mind that I want his place and I can assure you, that's been the case with him too. And most importantly, when we are in the middle of our cricket routines, we don't even think we're competing with each other."
Kishan said he has grown a lot as a player and an individual after joining the Mumbai-based franchise in 2018. “In the beginning when I joined MI, I was very young, relaxed, and used to tell myself 'I've got time on hand'. But even then, there was always so much focus on how I was going to approach my game. The senior players in the team, the coaching staff, having Sachin sir around - all of that began to help immensely. Those conversations with Sachin sir on the elements I should be focusing on have been great experiences and I'm truly blessed. Following a process, sticking to it, absorbing pressures, ticking the right boxes -- these are aspects I began to learn more about.
“Gradually skillsets began to further improve. Here's an example: I have always enjoyed my leg-side play and the coaches would keep coming to remind me how the bowling team would work on my indulgences and return with a different plan. So, preparation began right then in terms of working on my off-side play. This was before the 2020 edition. And when the tournament began, all those sessions began to help so immensely because my game was strong on all sides.
“Also, when I came here first, I was going through my own share of lifestyle issues. Not sleeping on time, not eating on time, just eating anything. I used to think these are little things that won't matter in the long run, but the trainers there, they showed me the mirror.
“The time that I've spent with Rohit bhai have been priceless. Little things, but important things. Rotating the strike, being aware of the match situation, being flashy with big hits alone is not enough.”