New Delhi, February 13 In his own admission, a change in personality has played a part in Ishan Kishan becoming a more refined international cricketer.
Kishan has not looked back since his return to the Indian team last month, and, through sheer performance, has solidified his place in the side as the first choice wicket-keeper batter ahead of Sanju Samson.
The left-handed batsman played another special innings on Thursday night against Namibia, a 24-ball 61, to help India reach 86 for one in the powerplay. This aggressive start came in the absence of Abhishek Sharma and led to India setting a record for the highest powerplay score in the history of the T20 World Cup.
Speaking to reporters after the win, Kishan talked about how he has changed as a person and cricketer. He started by saying that he doesn't joke around as much as he did a couple of seasons ago when he lost his place in the team and also his central contract.
"No, I think I'm a different person now, to be honest. I don't get into it too much, but I still enjoy jokes and everything. I do it, but earlier I used to do it 24x7, but now it's just 2-3 hours of it," Kishan said when asked if he was back in the mindset he had before his career took a downturn.
Kishan also gave a pep talk to the team before the start of the game.
"I'm just focusing more on batting and my wicket keeping, which will help the team and also help me. Everything else is secondary, so I'm not just always joking, especially under Gauti Bhai," he added in a lighter tone.
The left-handed batsman seemed to have found more consistency in his execution of big shots. On Thursday, he hit JJ Smit for four sixes in an over.
When asked if anything has changed in his batting approach that allows him to bat more freely, Kishan reminded the room that he also takes singles.
"No, I do take singles as well and I do defend the good balls (smiles). But I don't know if I've done a very big amount of hard work or something, I just kept it simple rather than rushing into the overs or getting excited and playing those shots.
"I'm just trying to stay calm on the pitch and trying to watch the ball and play those shots which I already have. But sometimes you get excited and play those shots when you're playing international cricket.
"So I'm just trying to cut those moments off in my life and just try to play my own shots which I am good at and which are suitable for that particular wicket. So I'm not doing so much or thinking so much about batting, or getting into extra training sessions, but yeah just trying to watch the ball and be calm in the wicket," he said.
Kishan also stressed on the need of playing a few dot balls according to the game situation.
"Even playing a few dot balls should not make a difference because I think the batters in our team all have the strength and ability to hit at any point in time. So it's just a matter of a couple of balls.
"And for us, it's important to understand that too. Like, if we can get two sixes in two balls, then that's all covered. So, we have to wait for the right time rather than just throwing our wicket away," said the explosive batter.