After scoring his maiden T20I hundred, Ishan Kishan was surprisingly handed the wicketkeeping duties over Sanju Samson in the final match of the series against New Zealand. The latter had kept the wickets in the first four matches so the move of suddenly giving the duties to Kishan did raise a few eyebrows.
However, after the conclusion of the match, India captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed that Kishan was supposed to keep the wickets in the final two matches of the series, but couldn't do so in the fourth T20I as he had suffered a niggle and was out of action. This decision had already been taken before the commencement of the series.
“Both wicketkeepers were part of the XI from game one since Tilak wasn’t available. Before the series started, we had already decided that Sanju would keep in three games and Ishan in two,” Suryakumar said on the post-match press-conference.
“Unfortunately, Ishan missed the last game due to a niggle, but otherwise he was scheduled to keep today anyway. These are the kinds of decisions and competition you expect before a World Cup,” he added.
It is safe to say that Kishan made a firm statement with his performance in the T20I series against New Zealand. Making his return to international cricket after over two years, the 27-year-old scored 215 runs in four matches and proved to be one of the team's top performers.
Suryakumar's praise for Kishan
Suryakumar lavished praise on Kishan after the match and said that he batted in the same way like he did in domestic cricket before the series. He further said that it was a joy to bat alongside Kishan and hailed him for reducing pressure on the middle-order with his explosive playstyle.
“We wanted him to be a game-changer, and the way he batted in every match, he’s made a very strong statement. I really enjoyed batting with him, and also with Abhishek Sharma since game one. When those two play together, they almost take the opposition out of the game early, which reduces pressure on the middle order and finishers,” Suryakumar stated.
T20 World Cup set to commence soon
With the T20I series in the bag, India will now be shifting their focus to the T20 World Cup that is right around the corner. The Men in Blue will begin their campaign with the clash against USA on February 7 at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.