Following MS Dhoni's tracks, 'fearless' Ishan Kishan takes centre stage
If someone from Kapil Dev's team had hit a six on his first ODI delivery and followed it up by saying, "I had already told everyone that wherever the first ball is I will hit it for a six," he would have been met with nothing but black looks.
But when Ishan Kishan did it, discoing down the track and clubbing Dhananjaya de Silva over the sightscreen last Sunday, all he found was a billion shrugs with the same sentiment: Might as well. The southpaw went on to hit another six and eight fours on his way to a brilliant 42-ball 59, becoming the first Indian to hit a fifty on both T20I and ODI debuts.
Almost every stroke of that knock was less about timing and more about the batter's sheer will to thrust the opposition out of the contest. The Indians don't expect such extravagance from their number three batsmen, certainly not in ODIs. But Ishan's spunk had more to it than just being his "way to score runs". Uttam Mazmudar, Ishan's childhood coach, says in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda:
"It’s from childhood. I understood his character 17 years back when he came to play under me as a five-year-old. He was never scared to do anything. When he was six, I gave him a chance in an under-14 match and he didn’t show an iota of fear. We sent him to open the innings and he had scored 9-10 runs when a fast bowler hit him on the helmet and broke his nose."
Mazumdar added:
"Then me and his father, Pandey Ji, went to PMCH and he got at least 7-8 stitches and he still didn’t cry at all. In fact, when we came back he wanted to start his innings again! That’s when I realized that there’s no stopping this kid from playing for the country"
At seven, Ishan became the youngest player to be selected for the All India School Games. Four years later, he was leading 10 seniors in Patna's Under-16 team in the same competition.
Chatter about his back-foot play and ruthlessness against spinners and pacers alike spread like wildfire in the Jharkhand-Bihar belt and Ishan's prodigious run soon reached the Ranji Trophy. At 15, he slammed a quickfire 60 as an opener for Jharkand against Assam on debut. He went on to score a century and four more half-tons in his first 10 first-class games.
Ranji success brought India captaincy for the Under-19 World Cup in 2016, where, although Ishan's own performances weren't notable, he brilliantly led the team to the final. He upended the batting fortunes as well after returning from Bangladesh with a record 799 runs to his name that domestic season, including a 273 against Delhi which is still the highest score by a Jharkhand cricketer.
Over the next few years, Ishan, with his consistency and steady improvement, pushed a domino of sorts. An IPL call-up from the Gujarat Lions in 2017, a ₹6.2 crore contract by Mumbai Indians (MI) the following year, a T20I debut under Virat Kohli in early 2021 to that maiden ODI six, everything just dovetailed perfectly. Mazumdar said:
"This has been a 17-year-long journey and it's been such a great start to his India career. It was a fantastic moment for both my own family and Ishan’s family. He made his debut as a wicket-keeper which is an added bonus for everyone."
Mazumdar elaborated:
"The first ball he hit that six, I asked him later what he was thinking while doing that and he said, "Sir this is the first time I am playing in an ODI match, I have to prove myself from the first ball." And he nailed it too. It was difficult but he has made it to Team India; it was his birthday as well so all in all a wonderful day."
But even such a massive wave of success, stardom and ready money couldn't change everything for our Jharkhand youngster: When Mazumdar learned that his apprentice had got a bit complacent after the triumphant debut, he made sure to treat him not like an IPL big shot but still the stripling who first came to his academy in 2004. Mazumdar said:
"When we talked the day after his debut, he was quite relaxed with his performance. I told him not to relax because all the matches are important for his career. I have only told him this single thing, "You have got a chance as a wicketkeeper-batsman so you have a lot of responsibilities for Team India.""
Ishan's childhood coach added:
"I have asked him to remain very calm, take one ball at a time, then one match at a time and try and prove himself in whatever opportunity comes his way because with the T20 World Cup also there, every game is important. We talked about a few more things as well which I can’t say here (smiles)."
The MI factor behind Ishan's success
With competition in Indian cricket beaming as high as ever, talent, perseverance and even the right temperament could be redundant without the apt platform. For a youngster like Ishan, there were few better places to be during his nascent cricketing years than the most successful IPL franchise. Mazumdar said in this regard:
"A lot of credit goes to them. The way the Mumbai Indians helped him comeback, especially playing under Rohit Sharma has helped him a lot. Rohit is such a free flowing player and a brilliant captain who has won MI so many IPL titles. He has supported Ishan a lot, including moral support. I can say that it has allowed a lot of changes in Ishan’s game and made him more confident too. That’s the reason he’s doing well."
Bookended between the likes of Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav in the top order and Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard in the lower order, Ishan has often played the role of the underrated bridge in MI's batting lineup. Concurrently, these players and the franchise have not only unlocked Ishan's potential but have also given him the right space and time to express what he learned.
Thus, it didn't come as a surprise when Ishan scored a chart-topping 516 runs at a strike rate of 145.76 in 2020, effectively leading MI to its easiest of trophy wins. This after he was ignored from the playing XI for the first couple of games and got a chance only as an injury replacement for Sourabh Tiwari.
Ishan announced his arrival in the season with a breathtaking 99 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the nail-biting super over clash. And from there on, neither the team lost its way in the points table nor the left-hander his spot in the playing XI.
Emerging from the dumps
Almost like turning a page, a huge chunk of that rise came crashing down this year when he could muster just 73 runs from five innings in the first half of IPL 2021. The franchise initially backed him and tried different positions, but had to give the pink slip when their own campaign started to tremble.
And just like that, Ishan hit his first major bump, his first non-purple patch in over half-a-decade. Mazumdar said:
"I worked on his mental strengthening because that was the need of the hour. Last IPL we saw, he was the highest run-scorer. This year the Chennai wicket was very slow and turning and he didn’t click as expected and got dropped. I told him that such things happen in every cricketer’s career."
He added:
"Sometimes you’ll make a hundred, sometimes you will go for a duck but you shouldn’t let your morale down. You have to remain optimistic and play while keeping your mind sound. International cricket puts up a challenge every day, you are always competing with someone or for something."
While questions were also raised about the franchise's 'double standards', given how most of their batsmen failed at Chepauk, the setback helped Ishan return as a significant version of himself, a player mentally primed for international cricket. Mazumdar explained:
"Every good cricketer became so by playing under that pressure every day. So, I supported him mentally, asked him to take up meditation and he did it which helped him become calmer and cooler. It was very important to forget this phase and he did it well."
The MS Dhoni touch
Jharkhand, wicketkeeper-batsman, aggressive, unorthodox, easygoing, game-changer, leader - ring a bell?.
While most budding 'keepers in India for the past 10 years have grown up with a picture of MS Dhoni in mind, Ishan has been like him perhaps in more aspects than anyone else. Or at least, he's one of the few to have got the opportunity to share a room with him, take cues from his reserved genius and bring some of it into his own game. Mazumdar said:
"What could be better than Ishan sharing rooms with Dhoni bhai and sharing his cricket with him? He’s his idol, a legend of Indian cricket. Now when he’s got the opportunity to play with such a personality, I don’t think there could be anything bigger than that. Whenever Dhoni bhai is in Jharkhand and has time. he meets the team and Ishan gets a chance to take wicketkeeping tips from him. Nothing could be better than this."
The admiration hasn't been one-sided either. Dhoni knew, long before most, that Ishan had the capability to play for India, of being the player he's today. The former captain made sure the youngster was cognizant of his expectations. Mazumdar, who played with Dhoni during his cricketing days, added:
"I am so lucky to first have played with Dhoni bhai and then see my student playing under his mentorship in Jharkhand. What can I say, it’s a dream come true. Even when he scored those 273 runs with 14 sixes against Delhi, creating a new Ranji Trophy record, Dhoni bhai told Ishan, "Agar aap do saal ke andar India nahi kheloge toh apne talent ko justify nahi karoge." (If now you don’t play for India in the next two years, you won't justify your talent).
Mazumdar elaborated further:
"It was a proud moment for me as well that someone of Dhoni bhai’s stature, a legend of Indian cricket, said this. I have been with him, sharing the rooms and everything. I know his nature very well. He’s a great human being, a rarity. He guided Ishan so well that I felt proud."
When asked if he, too, sees any similarities between the two wicket-keepers, Mazumdar raved with a new ring to his voice and said:
"A lot. Both are natural players. Like Dhoni bhai’s cricket is natural and totally different from others, Ishan has always been the same. You can’t compare him with anyone else. Like Dhoni bhai’s way of wicketkeeping was unique, Ishan’s case is also similar."
The way ahead
The 50-over World Cup in 2019 and the pandemic the following year made it impossible for Ishan to come true to Dhoni's prediction. However, as 'justifying talent' goes, Kohli's words of appreciation for the youngster when that debut finally came in February all but vindicated the former captain's belief. Kohli said after the game:
"Special mention to Ishan. He changed the game completely when we were one down for nothing. I tried to do what I can but he just took the game away from the opposition. Quality innings on debut. When you play in the IPL with such dominance like he has, against quality bowlers."
Kohli added:
"We've seen him hit international fast bowlers for big sixes. He's a fearless character and he continues to back his instincts. We had a conversation on the field and he was understanding and analyzing the game very smartly. He knew he was hitting the ball well so he kept taking his chances. But he was calculated, not reckless."
So, what's next?
Although for most of his career Ishan has played as an opener, he's unlikely to get that spot in the T20 World Cup. If Kohli decides to bypass Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul to open alongside Rohit, his one-down position could be for the taking and according to Mazumdar, that won't be too bad a proposition. Ishan's childhood coach explained:
"No.3 suits him the best. All his ODI and T20 cricket for Jharkhand, he has played as an opener. But at No.3 I feel it’s best for him because he’s good at attacking the fast bowlers and can also play around the spinners for singles and doubles while bringing out the big shots when needed."
Otherwise, if the skipper sticks with his long-held spot in the high octane tournament, it could be a straightforward bout between Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant and Ishan for two middle-order wicket-keeper spots in the line-up. But is Ishan ready to take on the arduous, multi-tasking role full-time? Mazumdar signed off:
"His wicket-keeping is very natural. He has always been a good fielder because of his agility and that’s also why he’s wicketkeeping so well. Whenever he’s got the opportunity to play as a wicketkeeper, he has done well. In the last two matches (first two ODIs), all the former players and commentators praised him and were excited to see him do well. He can be a great asset for Team India as a wicketkeeper-batsman in the coming years. I hope the team management gives him a chance to play in this World Cup and that he helps them in their success as well."
In either case, Ishan has already done enough to be at the center stage of India's fast-evolving T20 zeitgeist. He is competing with the likes of Dhawan, Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and even Rohit for that matter. That is not only a statement in itself but also a hint into what pressure a 23-year-old like him is under every time he takes his guard.
But who knows? If everything goes to plan, he might as well be batting against Trent Boult or Shaheen Afridi in October, stepping down and hitting them over the head on the first ball. And a billion people, scrutinizing his every moment, every twitch, would be able to do nothing but shrug with relief and awe.