'There is so much healthy competition that you start enjoying it' - Ishan Kishan on India comeback

Ishan Kishan was once considered to be the next big thing in Indian cricket, alongside Shubman Gill. The topic gained traction after his double-century against Bangladesh in December 2022. With that, he sealed his spot in the white-ball team but with Gill and Rohit present, he couldn’t break into the playing XI all the time. However, he was an integral part of the squad and even featured in the first two games of the ODI World Cup 2023 when Gill wasn’t available.

Things changed drastically after that. He travelled with the team to South Africa, where the keeper-batter left the series in the middle after complaining of mental health and didn’t feature in the Ranji Trophy 2024 as well. Instead, he was spotted training with MI captain Hardik Pandya in Baroda, which infuriated the BCCI officials. It led to Kishan losing his BCCI contract and didn’t feature for the national team again.

Recently, he has been named in the India A squad for the series against Australia. It can be a big breakthrough for him as the Patna-born is eager to get back into the scheme of things. However, he understands that the challenge isn’t easy as there are many cricketers currently fighting for the spot. However, he is willing to take up the challenge and enjoy the “healthy competition” and not take any pressure because of the same.

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“You have to keep playing your game because at the end of the day, there is so much competition. Everyone wants to play for India and I am very happy for everyone who is playing for the country. There is so much healthy competition that you start enjoying it and don't take it as additional pressure,” Kishan told The Times of India.

I had a reality check in Baroda about my hunger towards the game: Kishan

The 26-year-old mentioned that he got a reality check about his hunger towards the game during his stay in Baroda. Kishan revealed that he used to crave for matches and had a disciplined routine, which put everything in place. Ishan Kishan also revealed that his parents were staying with him and he wasn’t in a negative zone, which helped in his recovery process.

“I had a reality check in Baroda about my hunger towards the game and the process was just too good. It was like starting your life again, your cricket again. The same hunger which I used to have when I used to play Sunday-to-Sunday as a kid. We used to crave for matches then and used to wait for a Sunday.

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“In Baroda, we had a plan and a routine. I used to do a lot of yoga and do a lot of meditation. It was not like I was staying only at their place. There was a time when my parents were there and I was spending a lot of time with them and feeling very grounded. I was not in a negative zone because I wasn't in the team. I was in a very healthy space training twice a day for one month,” Kishan added.