India captain Suryakumar Yadav threw an interesting question regarding Ishan Kishan after their superb victory over New Zealand in Raipur, and the India batter
had a response to it.
Ishan Kishan delivered an explosive and match-defining innings in the 2nd T20I against New Zealand on Friday (January 23) at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Stadium.
Batting at No. 3, he played a blistering knock of 76 runs off just 32 balls, featuring 11 fours and 4 sixes, at a strike rate of 237.50.
India, chasing a challenging target of 209 set by New Zealand (208/6), suffered early setbacks, slumping to 6/2 in the second over. Kishan stepped in to stabilize and then dominate the innings with aggressive counterattacking. He reached his half-century in a remarkable 21 balls, the fastest T20I fifty by an Indian against New Zealand, breaking the previous record. His power-hitting targeted loose deliveries, punishing the Kiwi bowlers, including Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, and Mitchell Santner, with clean strikes over the ropes and precise boundaries.
Kishan's fiery partnership with captain Suryakumar Yadav (82* off 37) turned the game decisively. He fell to Sodhi after a stunning display, but his innings had already shifted momentum, helping India chase down the total in just 15.2 overs.
And at the presentation, Suryakumar Yadav was ecstatic for Kishan, with astonishment, saying he didn't know what Ishan took for lunch before the match.
"I don't know what Ishan had for lunch in the afternoon or what pre-workout he had before the game, but I've never seen anyone bat at 6 for 2 in that manner and still end the powerplay around 67 or 70. I thought it was incredible," Suryakumar said.
IND vs NZ: Ishan Kishan replies to Suryakumar Yadav
Earning Player of the Match, Kishan's fearless return to the Indian side after a long gap showcased his explosive form and intent in high-pressure chases. And at the post-match presentation, Kishan gave the reply to his captain's question.
"Nothing special (in lunch), I just had normal food. I was focusing more on what I had to do today and being in a very good headspace for this game. Sometimes you understand that you're batting well. You just have to be in a good headspace and try to watch the ball and play your good shots. We were looking not to take risks, not to go cross-batted, but I was still looking to score as many runs as possible in the powerplay," Kishan said.
