Ishan Kishan's knock took the pressure off Virat Kohli - Michael Atherton
Michael Atherton has said that Ishan Kishan's aggressive approach at the top of the order took the pressure off Virat Kohli in the second T20I between India and England.
Virat Kohli returned to form by scoring an unbeaten 73 off 49 balls. But the early fireworks provided by the debutant helped the Indian captain play more freely in the hosts' seven-wicket win.
Kohli was going through a lean patch of form, scoring three ducks in his previous five innings across formats. Before the start of the T20I series, the Indian captain had vowed to play more aggressively. However, the 32-year-old fell for a duck in the first game.
Speaking about whether Ishan Kishan's knock took the pressure off Virat Kohli, Michael Atherton said on Sky Sports:
"Definitely, I think Virat felt under a little bit of pressure in that first game because of what he'd said in the press conference about India playing a slightly more aggressive game. The problem in that first game with the lineup that India had was that they had quite a lot of similar players in the top order, and I think Kohli felt pressured - 'I've talked the talk, let's walk it now', and it's not really his game."
Atherton said that even though Virat Kohli can score quickly, the Indian captain is not in the same bracket as Rishabh Pant or Ishan Kishan.
"He's an elite player and scores very quickly but not like a (Rishabh) Pant or, indeed, an Ishan Kishan. So when that young man came in and played the way that he did, I think that just allowed Kohli to come in and play his natural game. I definitely felt this was a more Kohli-like performance than in the first game." Atherton added.
Virat Kohli hails Ishan Kishan's fearless approach
Ishan Kishan, on debut, stole the limelight in the second T20I with his 32-ball 56, which set up a comfortable win for the Men In Blue. After the game, Virat Kohli was impressed with the 22-year-old, saying:
"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. We've seen him hit international fast bowlers for big sixes. He's a fearless character, and he continues to back his instincts."
The third T20I between India and England starts in Ahmedabad on 16th March, with the 5-match series tied at 1-1.