Buoyed by recent form and a 24-ball 61 against Namibia, Ishan Kishan feels confident ahead of India’s T20 World Cup clash with Pakistan. He said consistent scoring has given the team valuable learning ahead of the high-profile encounter.
Ishan Kishan’s recent performances have bolstered his confidence as India gears up for the high-profile T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan on February 15. Speaking after India’s win over Namibia during the post-match press conference, the star wicketkeeper-batter siad consistent scoring in recent T20I series has helped both him and the team gain valuable learning and confidence.
‘A lot of confidence which we gained’
“100% getting runs is always a good thing for batters, and we have been doing well from the previous series as well, when we were playing against New Zealand. So all these matches that we played, there was a lot of learning, a lot of confidence which we gained from those matches,” Kishan said.
Reflecting on the upcoming encounter with arch-rivals Pakistan in Sri Lanka, Kishan added, “Pakistan clash, obviously, it would be a special one for everyone. So we’re not just thinking so much about the future game. But yeah, once we get there, we look at the wicket, and we have an idea of what sort of match is going to happen and what will be a good total, and we’ll just play accordingly.”
India’s dominant win over Namibia
Coming to the match, India posted a commanding total of 209/9 in 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan hammered a 24-ball 61, with six fours and five sixes. Hard hitter Hardik Pandya played a fantastic knock of 52 off 28 deliveries, including four boundaries and four towering sixes. For Namibia, captain Gerhard Erasmus (4/20) took a four-wicket haul. Ben Shikongo (1/41), Bernard Scholtz (1/41), and JJ Smit (1/50) were also among the wicket-takers.
Chasing mammoth 210, openers Louren Steenkamp (29 off 22 balls, with three fours and one six) and Jan Frylinck (22 off 15 balls, with three fours and one six) couldn’t convert their start. Captain Gerhard Erasmus (18 off 11 balls, with two sixes) also failed to score runs with the bat as none of the batters crossed the 30-run mark. Namibia were bundled out for just 116 in 18.2 overs, losing the one-sided contest by 93 runs.
Hardik Pandya (2/21), Arshdeep Singh (1/36), Shivam Dube (1/11), Jasprit Bumrah (1/20), Varun Chakaravarthy (3/7), and Axar Patel (2/20) were among the wicket takers. (ANI)
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