After Sunrisers Hyderabad’s win over Rajasthan Royals, batter Ishan Kishan spoke about what it meant to lead the side during Pat Cummins’ absence and also suggested that his best batting performances are still ahead of him. Cummins had returned to IPL action following an injury break, but Kishan’s ability to keep piling up runs this season remained unchanged. In the match, he produced a polished 74 off 31 balls, striking 11 fours and clearing the boundary three times. With the bat, Kishan also played a stabilising role in SRH’s chase of 229.
During the post-match presentation, Kishan reflected on captaining in the early part of the campaign, saying, “It was quite fun leading the side for seven games, and Pat coming in, giving us that extra bowling power. So I was really happy when he was coming in the team anyway because he’s such a tremendous captain anyway. So I was just thinking about my batting and wicket-keeping more than leadership.”
On his approach, Kishan emphasised fearless batting, adding that players should keep backing their shots rather than being scared of failure. He also discussed the moment involving Jofra Archer, whose bouncer struck his helmet and sailed straight to the ropes for a six. Kishan said the ball seemed to have bounced higher than expected. “I am happy to get six runs out of this. Sometimes, I think fortune favors the brave. So you just have to watch the ball and keep on going. I think that was a good learning session for me,” he said.
Talking about the successful run chase, Kishan said the group felt composed throughout, with a strong start playing a key role. “Having Head and Abhishek as an opener, they make the job pretty easier for the rest of the batsmen, even if they bat for four overs. So I was just batting with them, communicating with Abhishek. He was well aware of the game, what was happening, what run rate was going on. So I was just playing my shots and we both, did a great partnership in the middle, which helped our team,” Kishan added.
When asked whether this was the best form he has shown with the bat, Ishan responded, “No, I think my best is yet to come.”
Statistically, Kishan is currently the second-highest run-scorer in T20 cricket this year, having amassed 844 runs in 21 innings at an average of 40.19. His strike rate stands at 203.86, with one century and seven fifties. Earlier in the year, he also delivered standout performances for India during their T20 World Cup triumph, scoring 317 runs across nine innings at an average of 35.22, with a strike rate of 193.22. That run haul included three fifties, with a best score of 77.
Meanwhile, Orange Cap holder Abhishek Sharma described his batting display as a “lucky day” for him. Speaking about facing pacers such as Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger, he said his intention was to create space for himself and disrupt the bowlers’ lines and lengths. “Once you achieve this kind of score and the way the team is playing, the top batters are performing in those powerplays, and the way the bowling side is coming back after that powerplay, I think it is a sign of a winning side probably. And I mean, you can feel that confidence in the team when we are even chatting and just sitting at the dressing room,” he said, describing the belief that grew from the win.
