Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 15 (ANI): India batsman Ishan Kishan, who made a memorable debut on Sunday against England, said he learned a lot while batting with skipper Virat Kohli and added that the energy the latter shows on the field is something he had never experienced before.
Captain Kohli led from the front while Kishan scored a magnificent half-century on debut as hosts registered a seven-wicket win over England in the second T20I here at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
With this win, the hosts have levelled the five-match series 1-1.
Kohli played an unbeaten knock of 73 runs while Kishan scored 56 runs, helping the team chase down a target of 165 runs.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video in which Yuzvendra Chahal interviewed Kishan after the match.
Kishan started off by saying: “It is a proud moment for any youngster to come and represent his country. I was very happy that I got this chance.”
He also said: “The conversation I had before the match, with Virat bhai, Hardik bhai, everyone told me to just enjoy and before going out to bat you (Chahal) gave me tips about how to go about it and said ‘take time if you want to and just play freely like you played in the IPL’.”
“When you reached your fifty, you did not raise your bat for a few seconds. Were you not aware that you have completed your half-century or you got nervous?” Chahal asked Kishan.
To this, Kishan said he does not generally raise bat that much after scoring a half-century but Kohli encouraged him to do so.
“I wasn’t nervous. Actually, I was not sure that I had reached my fifty and when Virat bhai told me ‘top innings’, then I realised. But generally, I do not raise my bat that much after hitting a half-century, maybe just once or twice. But then I hear Virat bhai’s voice from behind ‘Oye, charo taraf ghoom ke bat dikha, sabko bat dikha, pehla match hai tera’ (raise your bat in all directions, show your bat to everyone, it’s your first match),” Kishan replied.
Reflecting on how it is to bat with Kohli, Kishan said: “Initially, I was finding it difficult to match his (Kohli) level because the energy he shows after each boundary or a double, I had never experienced that.”
The third T20I between India and England will take place on Tuesday. (ANI)
