Sunrisers Hyderabad wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan said he did not spend time sulking over his nearly two-year absence from the Indian team and instead focused on improving his game and scoring runs to regain consistency.
Kishan returned to the India set-up earlier this year for the T20I series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup after excellent performances in domestic cricket, where he led Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) title and scored over 500 runs.
“When I wasn’t playing and I was out of the team, I told myself that I can’t cry or get angry about it. It’s the easiest thing for any sportsperson to do. You may endear yourself to some people, you may even feel good about it, but it won’t get you anywhere,” Sunrisers Hyderabad player Ishan told JioHotstar, as quoted by news agency PTI.
“The only thing that could have made me count again was the runs. So I just wanted to improve my game and score as many runs as I could, even if it meant hitting more sixes than any other batsman.”
He said the time away from the national team increased his focus on domestic cricket and helped him understand the value of consistency.
“Only consistent scoring can bring you back into the team. If 300 runs in a season is not enough, score 400; if not that, score 500. At the end of the day, cricket is our bread and butter.
“When you are out of the team, you understand its importance and you start to respect every game. You become hungrier, and that was my goal: to be the best,” he added.
Talking about his batting role, Kishan said that playing at number 3 has helped him understand how to build an innings and stay in the crease for longer.
“Having played for so many years as a No. 3 batsman, if you’re prepared, you look to score big and bat until the end. It makes the job easier for the other batsmen with you as they don’t feel the pressure.
“That’s my only thought: keep things as simple as possible, be in a good mental space and take it one match at a time. If we play good cricket, the rest of the team will learn from it.
“At the end of the day, it’s a team sport. When you play cricket well, that rubs off on others. I’ve made a lot of mistakes too, so my only goal is not to repeat them, which unfortunately I ended up doing in this game,” he added.
In the IPL match in Jaipur on Saturday, Kishan came into his usual position and scored 74 off 31 balls as Sunrisers Hyderabad chased the target of 229 runs set by Rajasthan Royals.