By Kushan Sarkar
Ahmedabad, March 9
When Suryakumar Yadav called Ishan Kishan to confirm his place in India’s T20 World Cup squad, the captain had just one question to ask the swashbuckling batter — “World Cup jeetaeyga?”
Never the one to shy away from making a statement, Kishan answered Suryakumar with a question of his own, “Bharosa karoge? (Will you have faith in me?)”.
The brief conversation ended with Suryakumar replying in affirmative and Kishan delivered with 241 runs in the tournament, including a blazing half century in the all-important final here on Sunday.
“Surya bhai called me when the team was about to meet. I even took a screenshot because I had a feeling he had called about the World Cup team. He asked me directly, ‘World Cup jeetayega?’
“I asked him, ‘Bharosa karoge?’ He said ‘yes’ and that was it,” a beaming Kishan recalled after India’s title triumph that was sealed with a 96-run thrashing of New Zealand in the summit clash here on Sunday night.
However, the night before the final was far from easy for the Bihar-man, who plays for Jharkhand. He was dealing with a deeply personal loss.
Kishan revealed that he had learnt about the death of his cousin sister in an acciden just days earlier. It was a piece of news that weighed heavily on his mind heading into the biggest game of the tournament.
Speaking about the emotional turmoil, Kishan said he decided to channel his turbulent feelings into focussed batting.
“To be very honest, before the game I was not planning to say this, but I’ll say it. My cousin sister passed away in a car accident and I got to know about it a few days back. She always wanted me to score big runs,” one could gauge the pain in his voice.
“I was not feeling so good yesterday but today was a big day, so rather than keeping my emotions above the game, I thought the best thing I could do was score runs for her,” he said.
He explained that in the moment after reaching his fifty, there was relief and also gratitude that he could achieve it for his late sister.
“When I looked up after scoring my fifty, it was for her. It was like saying this is for my sister. I’m very proud that we won today. I feel for her family but my close friends are there to take care.
“There was a lot going on inside me today and I just wanted to perform,” he said.
Kishan admitted that the emotional weight made the build-up to the match difficult but he reminded himself of the team’s needs.
“Since last night I was not feeling alright and I kept thinking about what had happened. But at the end of the day you have to keep the team ahead because cricket is not an individual sport.
“I was just looking to score as many runs as possible even though there were questions in my mind about why bad things happen to good people.”
Even as the tournament unfolded under intense scrutiny, Kishan insisted the Indian dressing room thrived on simplicity and mutual trust.
Reflecting on the team environment, he said the players focused on staying present rather than getting overwhelmed by the occasion.
“The World Cup is always a very big stage and there is pressure and nervousness. But the work here is simple, you just have to pick the right shots and keep things uncomplicated.
“When you keep it simple, it becomes easier for a player.”
He also credited the support system within the squad for maintaining clarity of thought.
“When you see everyone in the team, you understand the environment whether there is fear or confidence. This time the belief throughout the World Cup was very strong.
“The coach and captain gave everyone freedom and never doubted players, and when you get that backing you want to change the game yourself.”
For Kishan personally, the last couple of years have been about learning to detach from the noise and expectations that come with international cricket.
Reflecting on that journey, he said he has stopped over-thinking about his place or future.
“To be very honest, in the last two years I have stopped thinking. I don’t think about where I will bat or whether I will be in the team tomorrow because that is not in my hands.
“The biggest thing I have learnt is to just keep doing your work, keep working hard and not worry about the result.”
Drawing inspiration from senior players like Virat Kohli, Kishan added that he has learnt how to manage his energy.
“I admire Virat a lot because of the way he has used his energy for so many years. That was important for me to understand, what I could change in myself.”
“Skills don’t change much…So I just keep doing my work now. I’ve stopped thinking too much,” Kishan signed off.
PTI
