Rohit Bhai told me that you will open, play freely as you do in the IPL: Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan, the Indian batsman, credited Rohit Sharma for his half-century on debut in the second T20I against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. On Sunday, March 14, Kishan donned the national jersey for the maiden time and smashed 56 runs off 32 balls, helping his team to a seven-wicket victory and a 1-1 equalizer in the five-match T20I series.

Kishan made his IPL debut in 2016 for the now-defunct Gujarat Lions after he led India U19 to a runners-up finish in the World Cup. However, after he moved to the Mumbai Indians under the leadership of Rohit, he has grown leaps and bounds. Kishan was among the leading run-scorers in the 2020 edition of the IPL, which took place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He flourished as an opener as well as in the middle-order. Even in the second T20I, he showed minimum signs of nervousness. After the game, Kishan talked about how the 33-year-old Rohit asked him to play his natural game.

I was nervous when I went out there: Ishan Kishan

“As a cricketer, many people are there who play different roles to help you succeed. Rohit Bhai told me before the match that you will open, play freely as you do in the IPL. He told me to stay clear,” Kishan was quoted as saying in the post-match press conference.

Kishan came to bat after Sam Curran bowled a wicket-maiden in the very first over of India’s run-chase. But then, he, along with skipper Virat Kohli, steadied the ship for the Men in Blue. When he got out to Adil Rashid, India were already on the driver’s seat in the run-chase.

“Obviously, I was nervous when I went out there, but at the end of the day, when you see the flag of your country and you are wearing the national jersey, all you want to do is give your best,” he stated.

“I think there was nothing to be changed after the first game. We had a bad game but still, you have to stick to the process which we have decided. We have to stick to our plans. There were small things which we took care of and we did not change anything from the first T20I,” Kishan added.