Ishan Kishan Hits 4th Consecutive ODI Fifty To Save India vs Pakistan

Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya rebuilt India's innings vs Pakistan (AP Photos)

Ishan Kishan silenced his critics with a magnificent half-century against Pakistan in an all-important Asia Cup 2023 fixture at Pallakele National Cricket Stadium. The 25-year-old pulled off an exceptional knock when the Men in Blue required him the most, especially when Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and Shreyas Iyer all fell cheaply against their arch-rivals.

It was Kishan’s sixth overall ODI half-century in 18 matches. Prior to this fixture, the southpaw tallied 694 runs at an impressive average of 46.26, that too at a strike rate of 107.43. More significantly, it was Kishan’s fourth consecutive ODI half-century following his heroics in the West Indies, which helped him win the Player of the Series award there.

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Earlier in the game, India got off to an excellent start as Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill tackled 26 balls without any trouble after opting to bat. Then the rain hit the ground to interrupt the game, and Pakistan bowlers made full use of the conditions to dismiss India's top four without much damage.

At the time of writing, Kishan is batting on 72 off 73 balls, with Hardik Pandya batting from the other end on 50. The Men in Blue were left reeling at 65/4 at one point, and the duo have recovered brilliantly to take them to 178/4 at the end of 34 overs.

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