The Rise Of Ishan Kishan And What He Must Guard Against

image-lk83vmex

The brand of cricket currently on display in 2023 all thanks to a new class of youngsters actually augurs well for Team India. It is, besides being a huge departure from the rather conservative and caution-marked approach of the team in 2000’s, a major shift in the way Indian cricket has grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade. 

Now is not the time to let the opposition weigh in, have its share of say and dictate terms. The new generation of Indian cricketers, who don’t wait until tomorrow to attack, are writing their own destinies in the great game of Cricket. 

We’ve adored the way Rishabh Pant has grown over the last few years in the international game, paving way for a captivating style of play that cares little for a defensive mindset. 

As seen in 2023, we’ve grown accustomed to Shubman Gill making bold new headlines authoring perhaps the start for a new era that sees the legend Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as the preeminent established entities with a whisk of new breathtaking generation taking over. 

The way Gill batted and eventually battered several opponents whether whilst donning the Indian jersey or that of his IPL franchise in the 2023 edition was a pure treat to the eyes. 

Class and grace and power; Gill has it all. 

Which is why it doesn’t even draw a huge surprise when many already compare the Punjab-born youngster to Virat Kohli. 

But is that all? 

The new annals of Indian cricket cannot be possibly described on the whole without taking into consideration the sheer talent of someone like Ishan Kishan, who’s turned 25. 

With expansive shot making and the ability to quickly up the ante of scoring, Kishan has furthered, if you think of it, the canvass of Indian youth that’s currently plying its talent for an unmistakable powerhouse of the sport. 

Together, the Pant, Gill and Kishan triumvirate makes cricket more captivating than what most would think. 

It's only brilliant that Ishan Kishan, as of a few months ago, truly captured the attention of the world courtesy a mesmerising white ball double hundred and in the wake of his most exceptional white ball cricket achievement, made the prospect of examining Indian cricket an exercise bellied by excitement instead of hype. 

The very fact that Kishan quickly scored big runs, hardly allowed his opponents to settle and scored, as a matter of factly, 156 of his 210 runs merely through boundaries made his inning exemplary and his feat something to marvel at. 

For sure; there would be a few critics of the Bangladesh routing that occurred on December 10, 2022, to be precise given how brittle and vulnerable the team has looked especially against India. 

But then how often does one see a double century being struck in white ball one day cricket and the rate at which the dainty left hander went about scoring it? 

The 131-ball-routing of Bangladesh carried the Ishan Kishan signature blend of playing the big lofty shots around the ground (Chattogram) along with the fine sense of timing. 

But as matter of debate, the big question that the famous Mumbai Indians top order batsman courts, as seen so often, is whether he’s truly adaptable to the other formats of the game where attack from the word go may not necessarily be the most judicious answer. 

To that end, the tiny, if also timely reminder that Kishan, who most recently Test debuted at Dominica, played nearly five full overs before opening his account serves a valid answer that the youngling of Indian cricket can get his eye in. 

Although for a career whose best days are arguably in the future, Ishan would also be advised to guard against the patches of inconsistency that often creep into his game at the white ball level. 

Often subjugated by the imposition of tight and restricted lines and lengths, the opener has often come under scrutiny for his slow starts on occasions, especially at the T20I level. But one notes, such an anomaly could do little to harm a career that’s powered by genuine run making talent that first came to attention for that terrific 2017 Ranji season for Jharkhand where Ishan fired 799 runs on the whole. 

As India aims to further galvanise the world’s attention for being a true world power, there could be nothing more noteworthy other than the likes of Gill and Pant to come into their own in the fast approaching ODI World Cup. 

That the presence of Kishan, if picked, will only lend further credence to the troika will further fuel the interest of a massive cricket devoted fan base in India and elsewhere.