Cricket News

‘Mere jaisa koi nahi maar sakta’ – Ishan Kishan’s bold statement after match-winning innings against South Africa

Ishan Kishan was in full flow on October 9 against South Africa when he made a stroke-filled 93 from 84 balls with four fours and seven sixes. This helped India overhaul South Africa’s total of 278-7. The left-hander went all hell for leather against Keshav Maharaj who had gone for 45 runs from his seven overs.

Kishan said that very few can hit sixes as easily as he can and hence it makes no sense for him to concentrate on rotating the strike that much. “Rotate karne ki jaha tak baat hai toh wo kuch players ka strength hota hai, kini ka strength hota hai chhakka marna. Toh mere jaisa koi chhakka bhi itni jaldi nahi maar sakta, main bohut asaani se maarta hu. Wo mera strength hai. Toh agar main chhakke se hi kar leta hu kaam toh rotate ka utna sochta nahi hu. (Some players have the strength to rotate the strike, my strength is to hit sixes. I hit sixes effortlessly and not many can do that. If I do the job by hitting sixes, there’s no need to think about rotating the strike much),” Kishan said at the post-match media interaction.

I back my six-hitting ability: Ishaan Kishan

Kishan stitched a superb 161-run stand with Shreyas Iyer, who was awarded Player of the Match for his unbeaten 113 off 111 balls, which led to India acing the chase and hunting down the target of 279 runs to level the series 1-1.

“But ha bohut se aise innings ayenge jaha pe rotation bhi zaroori hoga, jaha pe wickets pahle girr gaye honge toh uske lie bhi practice karna zaroori hai but agar strength chhakka hai aur ball hai maarne layak toh maaro chhakka. (If your strength is hitting sixes then go for it, what’s the need of rotating the strike just for the sake of it. But yes there will be time when rotating the strike would be key with wickets falling at the other end),” Kishan added.

  Ishan Kishan was on a six-hitting spree and wanted to reach a hundred with a six, but he was dismissed by Bjorn Fortuin to fall seven runs short of his maiden ODI century. “Obviously rotation is very important. Seven runs, I could have taken in singles and gone for the century but I never go into a zone where I’ve to play for myself. If I think of my individual score when representing my country, then I’m letting down the fans,” Kishan added.