'When I was fielding they were asking me to get a hundred' - Ishan Kishan reveals requests of home crowd in Ranchi

Ishan Kishan notched up a brilliant 84-ball 93 in the second ODI against South Africa, which was a must-win game for India to keep their hopes alive in the three-match series. Kishan’s knock, followed by Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten century helped India clinch a seven-wicket victory at Ranchi and level the series 1-1. The two teams will clash next for the third and decider ODI in Delhi on October 11.

Ishan Kishan, the local boy, who plays for Jharkhand in domestic competition, wowed his home audience and showcased a masterclass. In the first ODI, Kishan could barely score 20 runs off the 37 balls that he faced before getting dismissed cheaply. He worked well on his mistakes and bounced back to put up a remarkable performance.

After the match at Ranchi on Sunday evening (October 9), Kishan was delighted by the way he played and was satisfied with his knock which led to India winning the game early on as the Men in Blue chased down the 279-run target within 46 overs. He revealed that when India was fielding in the first innings, the supporters were urging him to smash a century, and he came close to doing so.

“(Feeling) Very good, it’s 1-1, very excited to play the decider at Delhi. Really happy about with the way we contributed in the team. It is my home ground, there were too many people watching. When I was fielding they were asking me to get a hundred today. Unfortunately, I missed it but no worries, I’m just happy that my team won the game today and maybe in the next game I will give my best and make my team win again," he said during a chat with the broadcasters.

We were looking to play according to the merit of the ball: Kishan

Ishan and Shreyas Iyer teamed up to anchor the innings during the chase, after India lost both the openers early, and they later produced a mammoth 161-run partnership for the third wicket that put India in command. Ishan may have given the impression that the track was simple with his power hitting, but he acknowledged that it was a little challenging for a new batsman

“It’s difficult here sometimes because I played so many matches in Ranchi, it is not easy for the new batters to score runs, so we were looking to play according to the merit of the ball and not to play any harsh shots, and it’s a matter of putting the pressure on the other team as well and the positive mindset helped a lot," he added.