Colombo, February 15 – Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan said that adopting a simple batting approach and focusing on developing his off-side game helped him score a match-winning 77 in India's 61-run victory over Pakistan in a Group A clash at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.
Despite the threat of rain looming over the match, Kishan smashed a blistering 77 off 40 balls, laced with ten fours and three sixes, on a slow, spin-friendly pitch as India posted 175/7 before bowling out Pakistan for 114 to secure a 61-run victory and qualify for the Super Eights.
"I think the pitch wasn't that easy initially, but sometimes you just have to believe in what you want to play, what shots are on, and you just need to focus on your strengths.
"So I was just keeping it simple, watching the ball, and playing with the field, maybe trying to make them run as much as possible, but yeah, I think it worked pretty well for me," Kishan said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
Kishan, who was named Player of the Match, highlighted the effort he had put into his off-side game and the importance of rotating strike on a large ground. "I think I worked a lot on my off-side game, and it will give me the opportunity to play shots where I want the balls to be bowled.
"So I was just trying to hit the gaps because it's a big boundary, and when you're on a large ground, you get bigger gaps. So I was just trying to keep it simple, like I said, trying to hit the gaps, trying to at least take two runs because the pitch wasn't easy. I had that in mind that we needed to score around 160-170 runs, and that would be a very good score for us," he added.
Kishan further said that the win held added significance given the hype and rivalry surrounding India-Pakistan clashes. "100 percent. India vs. Pakistan is always a special game, not just for us but for our country as well. So we had to win this one because it was a very important game, and they had some good spinners in their side.
"We just needed to play good shots and win against the Pakistan team... it will give us a lot of confidence going forward in the tournament, and we'll try to keep the momentum going."
He also praised India's new-ball bowlers for setting the tone. "I think they bowled tremendously well. The pace bowlers... when I was batting and Shaheen was bowling, I didn't feel like the ball was doing much for the pace bowlers. But at the same time, looking at them (Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah) bowl two beautiful overs, it was a plus point for us.
"Especially when we know how Jasprit Bumrah can bowl, whether he has the new ball in his hand and is bowling in the death. Credit goes to Hardik Pandya for keeping it in the tight areas, bowling what we planned before the game, and executing his plans pretty well," he concluded.
