It has been eleven months since Ishan Kishan has been playing for India. The T20 match against Australia in Guwahati was the 26-year-old's last match for the national team. He has been away from the set-up and has been working hard to impress the important people in the domestic circuit. again. Since taking a break due to personal reasons during the South Africa tour last year, the wicketkeeper-batsman recharged his batteries during a long camp in Baroda with Hardik Pandya earlier this year and has not missed a game since.
Starting with the DY Patil T20 tournament, he started taking small steps and became a regular feature in the domestic team. Indian Premier League, Butchi Babu Multi-Day Tournament for Jharkhand, Duleep Trophy, Irani Cup and now Ranji Trophy, the left-hander has played every competition on offer.
Centuries in the Duleep Trophy and Ranji Trophy helped him get back into the plan, as was his name india a team To tour Australia.
For a 26-year-old player who is used to seeing his name on India's squad sheet, the call up has been special and he is very hungry to make a return to the senior team.
in one Exclusive interview with TimesofIndia.comThe wicketkeeper-batsman talks about his time away from the game, the practical advice he got from Hardik and how he rediscovered his hunger in Baroda. Part:
What were your first thoughts when you saw your name in it? india a teamYou are used to seeing your name in India's teams but does this feel different?
Obviously very special to me. I'm very happy with it because it's another opportunity for me to go out there and perform with a lot of great players who are on the tour. Very happy to get my name back and everything back on track.
Exactly one year ago, everything that could have gone right went right for you. You were part of almost every Indian side. What kind of headspace were you in at that time?
I am someone who loves to perform for the team, loves to be happy and loves to help people around. Looking back, I was very happy when I saw my name in every team but I felt that I needed to do more for the team. I was never satisfied with the performance… I always thought of doing better. I was always in that mindset. I was happy then and am happy even today.
I think hunger is very important. This happens when you also take rest, when you don't get to play so many matches. This is the time when the hunger awakens and you also see the batsmen coming in and banging. This is the thing that I used to miss sometimes but right now I am really happy with whatever is happening.
It would have been special for a young boy to play a 50-over World Cup. Everyone wants this but very few people get to experience it. You played two matches when Shubman Gill was ill, making useful contributions in the game versus Afghanistan. How was the World Cup experience?
The World Cup was the greatest tournament I have been a part of. I think this is what dreams are made of. I want us to win the final also because we were very careful throughout the tournament. Right from my junior days, I was never worried about my batting position. You have to play for the team and do whatever is required at that time. Even if they ask you to play a certain number, you have to be open about it. I think this is the level where you are ready to perform and want to perform whenever you wear the blue jersey. You don't think whether you are batting at number 3 or number 4. You just think about scoring runs and concentrate on that.
At that time, I just thought about doing my best no matter where I play. I wanted to adapt to the situation and talk to the senior players of the team who have performed well in that particular situation. You get that experience from other players and just go out there and play your game. You can't ask for a particular number when you're playing for your country. Whatever position or position you get, you have to be ready to take it.
To be ready to bat anywhere for the team, you have to be mentally prepared for the challenge. How much work has gone into keeping yourself in the right frame of mind?
Every person is different. I think not everyone will think so. I think I'm quite fortunate that my way of thinking is very practical. I am a very practical guy. I have spent a lot of time with Hardik (Pandya) and you also know that he is a very practical person. What is necessary, is necessary. You don't have to cry over everything… that's why I have also started thinking like this.
I was selected by Mumbai Indians at a very young age and I have been friends with Hardik for a long time. So I know how he thinks and I know he also wants me to be a great player so he keeps sharing ideas with me. I'm in a very practical area right now. Even if you get out, it is not like I start thinking 'what happened', now how will I perform in the next game.
Watch: Ishan Kishan's mother and grandmother showered love on him when he went to Australia
You need to find that neutral point where you have to remain very calm even when you score a century. Even if you get out early, you have to stay on the ground. You have to find that right balance. I am very fortunate to have people like Hardik around me who have talked to me about this. There are moments in cricket when you feel really disappointed. And it's not just for me, it's for every cricketer. But if you find that neutral point, you'll get through it. The skills are always there, it's just your mental thing. How are you dealing with things at that time. I've been very fortunate to have lived in a very healthy area throughout my career.
A lot of talk is happening on social media and a lot of negative things too. Does this affect a youth like you? How do you deal with it?
I think there will be negativity on social media. If you don't perform well people will troll you and this is very normal. I believe every player should accept that it is going to happen and you should not make such a fuss about it. I think you should enjoy it too because at the end of the day, you know that the same people will appreciate you when you perform.
Same thing happened with Hardik also. People were also trolling him but he just did his job, performed well in the World Cup and now you can see the result. So it should be like this… there will be negativity but you have to find that neutral point so that you take everything in a very sporty manner.
You can't control social media. Whatever will do… is fine. I think you don't need to go too much into this social media. When I talk to youngsters who are joining big teams, I tell them the same thing, please try and stay away from social media.
So have you turned off notifications to stay away from all this?
I am well aware of everything, I have not turned off notifications. There will be times when people will be harsh on me… I think at the end of the day when I perform it will be good for my film (laughs).
You can't control social media. Whatever will do… is fine
Ishan Kishan
You talked about the advice you received from Hardik. If you can move aside everything else, talk in detail about your time spent with the Pandya brothers in Baroda. How important was that and how much did it benefit you?
I had a reality check in Baroda about my hunger for the game and the process was very good. When I was in Baroda, it was not that I was just batting. It was like starting your life, your cricket all over again. The same hunger that I used to have while playing Sunday-to-Sunday in my childhood. We used to yearn for matches then and wait for Sunday.
In Baroda, we had a plan and a routine. I used to do a lot of yoga and meditate a lot. It was not that I was staying only at his place. There was a time when my parents were there and I was spending a lot of time with them and felt very connected. I was not in the negative zone because I was not in the team. I was very healthy in space training twice a day for a month. I had to bat only after a month and before that I used to wake up early to meditate and watch the rising sun. It was very fun.
Even during my training in Baroda, I used to yearn for my batting because batting took place only after one month of training. It was the best time of my life. IPL didn't go that well but it was a big lesson for me that no matter what you do, everything will not go your way. There will be times when God will test you and this is the time when you have to be very steadfast in life. Very practical and very down to earth.
You have to keep your game on because there is a lot of competition at the end of the day. Everyone wants to play for India and I am very happy for everyone who is playing for the country. There is so much healthy competition that you start enjoying it and don't take it as added pressure.
From the corporate DY Patil tournament to India A, you took all the necessary steps to reach the Indian team. Did it feel like you were hitting the reset button or trying to make your debut for the country again?
I'm not thinking on those lines (pressing the reset button). I am very hungry at the moment and I know that whenever I get a chance again, I will thrash the bowlers. I am going to do everything. I am very hungry to get an international match. I know what happens in team meetings when someone returns to the team. How light banter happens and I remain very excited about those things. Whenever I get that opportunity, I will definitely participate in it.
A lot happened in your journey in the last six-eight months. Has the boy grown up and become a man during this period?
Yes, I have grown a lot in the last few months. The way I look at the game now… my perception of the game is very different from before. The joke continues… but now I know where to stop so it doesn't ruin my game. I am more mature in thinking now and the break has taught me a lot about it. I was having the most quality time of my life.
Will the laughter, fun and games continue?
the banter will continue (The joke will always be there) But I think you need to reach that line where you understand that now it's done and you have to come back to your focus zone and just think about your game.
Did the family also feel that their little boy had grown up? Your father is very passionate about your cricket, did he also feel the same?
i feel feel it's bound to happenMy father is a person who doesn't share a lot of things about what he's feeling. I know he is happy now. There was a time when he was very worried. As a player, I know that when you take certain decisions, it will hurt the people around you who love you. Mainly because they won't know the reason behind it and your plan behind it.
And I think that's what helps you grow from a boy to a man…when you start taking your call and you know what's important to you at a particular point. Now everything is good, dad is also happy with my calls because he also knows that this will not be easy for me. The comeback will not be easy, my father knows this. They are very happy right now, very happy and very excited about the future. I'm also excited about the future because now you know You can sit and enjoy a story with your dad all night long.,