Former Team India cricketer Parthiv Patel heaped praise on wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan by saying that he is making good use of the pace and is batting brilliantly in the format.
The left-hander has been in good form and has delivered crucial knocks to help the “Men in Blue” seal the series against New Zealand. He is the fourth-highest run-scorer in the series. In the three T20Is played so far, he has scored 112 runs at an exceptional strike rate of 224.00 and an average of 37.33.
With the series already in the bag, the Suryakumar Yadav-led men are all set to lock horns with the “Black Caps” for the fourth T20I. The match is scheduled to be played on Wednesday at the ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
While speaking on `Game Plan`, JioStar expert Patel said, “As a bowling coach, you tell your bowlers to hit the right length, finishing around the top of off stump. That is where most balls are ending of the New Zealand bowlers. But Ishan Kishan has the skill to use the pace and guide it through the offside. If it is slightly short, he pulls it to mid-wicket or fine leg. That is why he is so successful. He has a lot of runs behind him from domestic cricket, and he is batting brilliantly”.
The former cricketer also feels that Ishan not putting pressure on himself is the reason behind his success in the format.
“He seems to be enjoying his game and not putting extra pressure on himself about selection. That is the reason for his success,” he added.
The 27-year-old cricketer had a good run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025/26 campaign with Jharkhand, leading them to their first-ever SMAT title.
After the conclusion of the series, both teams will engage in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. The marquee tournament is scheduled to kick off from February 7.
India`s squad for the T20I series against New Zealand
Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh.
(With ANI Inputs)
