Ishan Kishan 2.0

MI’s Ishan Kishan during his 69 against RCB at Wankhede on Thursday. Pic/PTI

To hell and back! Ishan Kishan might just have made this journey across the last few months. In December last year, he cited mental fatigue to opt out of the South Africa Test series. He then avoided playing in the Ranji Trophy for Jharkhand and instead chose to train in preparation for the IPL. Consequently, he was kept out of the BCCI's Annual Player Contracts for the 2023-24 season with board secretary Jay Shah making it amply clear that domestic cricket should be a priority for all players.

Rumour mills were abuzz that Kishan is not in a good space, both on and off the field. But just when he was on the verge of picking up a Bad Boy image among fans and Indian cricket lovers alike, IPL-17 has come as a breath of fresh air for the swashbuckling batter.

Also Read: IPL 2024 | "Fans will start loving him": Kishan on Pandya's booing

In top gear

On Thursday, Kishan was the top-scorer of the match with a 34-ball 69 studded with seven fours and five sixes as the Mumbai Indians (MI) annihilated Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), chasing down their 196-8 with seven wickets and with 27 balls to spare. In fact, such has been Kishan's form that he is currently the leading scorer for the five-time champions this season with a tally of 161 runs at an impressive strike rate of 182.95.

Kishan, who strolled into Thursday night's post-match press conference with a broad smile, humming a tune followed by an emphatic ‘hi, guys' as he addressed the media, admitted that some of his off-field experiences in the recent past have brought about a positive transformation not just on the personality front, but also in the professionalism aspect. "I was practising," he shot back when asked what he was up to in the recent past when he was in the news for all the wrong reasons. "When I took time off from the game, people started gossiping about it. Many things came on social media, but it's important to understand that not everything is in a player's hands. So, the only thing you can do is utilise this break-time properly," he added.

When he walked out to bat earlier, chasing a target of close to 200, Kishan played out three dot balls off the very first over of the innings against RCB's Reece Topley. It's not something the opener is used to doing, as he generally tends to go after the bowling from Ball One. However, this change is also a consequence of what transpired lately. "If I were the old Ishan Kishan, I might not have left the good deliveries in the first two overs [against RCB]. I would have been under pressure. But with time, I have learnt that even 20 overs are a lot and you can take your time. You can have the belief in yourself and move forward. So, all these things have actually helped me in that break," he stressed.

In fact, the team man in him has also been activated in the bargain. "We lost some games here [first three matches] but I always felt that most of the players, not just me, were keen to work with everyone. It was never about us individually performing well for the franchise and not being aware of what the other players were going through. So, now I also know if someone is not doing well, how they feel. If I am performing and another player is failing, I go and speak to him to make him feel comfortable. These are things that helped me in the break," Kishan added.

‘WC selection not in my hands'

T20's biggest competition is not too far away (World Cup will be held from June 1 to 29 in USA and the West Indies) and Kishan realises that his good form puts him on the doorstep of that India flight to the Americas. But his new calm self has restricted him from thinking too far ahead. "That [World Cup team selection] is not in my hands so I'm taking things very easy right now. It's not like I want to prove anything to anyone. The IPL is a long tournament and I know that I have to just go out there and keep enjoying myself and take it match by match. I've learnt that you shouldn't put pressure on yourself about things that are not in your control. The uncontrollables will always be there and it's up to you to figure that out," he signed off.