Ishan Kishan's father advises him to not let the '200 get to his head'

Ishan Kishan continues on his purple patch as he notched up 135 runs for Jharkhand against Kerala in the ongoing Ranji Trophy  Elite Group C match on Thursday. It came only a week after the flamboyant left-hand opener scored a blistering knock of 210 runs off 131 deliveries against Bangladesh in the recently concluded ODI series.

Following the majestic double-century, Ishan’s father Pranav Kumar Pandey gave him some valuable advice. He suggested Ishan to take one innings at time and not to let the double hundred get to his head. 

“Jab century maarta hai main jyada kuch nahi bolta, puri duniya se shabaashi mil rahi hoti hai (When he scores runs, I don’t say much to him because he receives the congratulatory message from everyone),” Pranav Kumar told the Indian Express.

“He called me after the match and I told him ‘next match you will again start from zero. Don’t let this double hundred get into your head,” he added.

He was dejected after T20 World Cup 2022 snub: Pranav Kumar Pandey

His father, meanwhile, revealed that Kishan was dejected after the T20 World Cup 2022 snub. But he stood like a rock behind his son during the dark times and helped him develop a stronger mindset. 

“He was dejected, he was tense and I have never seen him like that ever. He is a fun-loving kid but when he was not picked, he was sad. At home, he would not sleep, he would walk on the terrace at night," his father said.

"So, one day, I sat him down and told him to stop feeling sorry for yourself. From now onwards, your job should be to make sure that they don’t get an excuse to drop you. Let your bat do the talking, you are still very young, there is a 50 over World Cup next year, prepare for that and make all the opportunities count,” he added.

Ishan, 24, will be keen to continue on his fine run in the IPL 2023 to help Mumbai Indians bounce back from a season to progerss. His momentum might also help him seal a spot in India's T20 squad in the build up to the 2024 World Cup.