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'Kohli Told Me...': Ishan Kishan Reveals the Reason Behind His Batting Promotion

image-lkgj1cmnIshan Kishan smashed his maiden Test half-century on Day 4 of the ongoing Trinidad Test. (Twitter)

In the ongoing second Test match between India and West Indies, Indian wicket-keeper batter, Ishan Kishan, shone bright with his maiden Test fifty. Kishan's pivotal knock came on Day 4 of the Trinidad Test when he came in at No.4, replacing regular number 4 batter Virat Kohli.

With India standing at 102/2, having lost both openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kohli made a strategic move by pushing himself down the order. He believed that India would soon declare their innings, and he wanted Kishan to gain confidence with some runs under his belt. This decision to promote Kishan turned out to be a game-changing move.

Kishan's bat did the talking as he quickly registered his maiden Test half-century in just 34 balls. Rain tried to interrupt his fiery performance, but Kishan remained undeterred, finishing with an unbeaten 52 at a blistering strike rate of 152.94. His innings included four fours and two sixes.

The team's backing, especially from Virat Kohli, played a crucial role in Kishan's success. After the match, Kishan expressed his gratitude, stating that Kohli encouraged him to play his natural game. It was a special moment for the 25-year-old, and the entire team was behind him.

"Was really special. I knew what the team needed from me. Everyone backed me. Virat backed me and told me go and play your game. Let's hope we will finish the game tomorrow. It was Virat bhai who took the initiative and told that I should go in. There was a slow left-armer who was bowling. It was a good call for the team. Sometimes you need to take these calls. We had the plan that we will play 10-12 overs after the rain break and score 70-80 runs. We wanted a 370-380 target,"  revealed Ishan Kishan.

Kishan's partnership with Shubman Gill (29*) laid the foundation for India's declaration at 181/2, leaving the West Indies with a challenging target of 365 runs.

As day 4 concluded, West Indies stood at 76/2, requiring 289 more runs to secure victory, while India aimed to take eight wickets to clinch the series 2-0.