Even biggest of players can struggle: Ishan Kishan on his below-par IPL season

Ishan Kishan has failed to live up to the most expensive player tag in this IPL but the Mumbai Indians (MI) wicketkeeper batter is not unduly worried about his form, saying even the best of cricketers “struggle” at some point.

The 23-year-old was bought by MI for a whopping ₹15.25 crore at the IPL auction earlier this year. He scored 370 runs from 13 matches at an average of 30.83, with the help of three half-centuries.

He is, though, MI’s second-highest run-getter in this IPL, a fact which showed the woeful form of most batters of the side.

MI were out of the play-offs reckoning long time back after losing eight matches on the trot.

“Even the biggest of players (can struggle), I have seen like Chris Gayle taking time (to start hitting),” Kishan said at the post-match conference after MI lost by three runs to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Tuesday night.

“Every day is a new day, every match is new. Some day you get a good start, some day opposition bowlers come prepared and they bowl the balls at good areas.”

“The planning inside the dressing room may be different from what the outside people want.” He said his role was not about hitting straightaway without analysing the situation of the game.

“In cricket, it can never be sure that you have just one role and I will just go out and hit the ball. If you think about the team, it is more important to understand about your role,” Kishan, who scored 43 off 34 balls, said.

“If the opposition bowlers are bowling well you need to give respect to them and if you can save wicket it makes easier for the batters coming later.”

“There cannot be just one situation. Some day, you need to go all out when you are chasing a big total, some day, you need to analyse the strength of opposition team whether they have good bowlers to bowl at the death or not, or whether we have to save wickets or not.” Kishan also said that MI could have won the match had Tim David, who had smashed 46 off just 18 balls with the help of three fours and four sixes down the order, was there till the end.

“Unfortunately, Tim David was run out. If he was till the end, he could have finished the game.” SRH head coach Tom Moody said had David’s incredible innings not taken the game down to the wire, his side’s chances of making the play-offs would have increased on net run rate.

SRH currently sit at eighth spot in IPL standings with 12 points, the same as Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings, but placed below the two on inferior net run rate.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got to win the game first and that was our priority. We managed to get enough runs but (if not for) an extraordinary innings from Tim David, we may have made a bigger impression on our net run rate,” Moody said.

Asked whether tearaway pacer Umran Malik is ready for international cricket, Moody said, “Umran is still in a learning curve, he has bowled exceptionally well in this IPL. He had his moments.

“Like any young player who burst on the scene you need to be measured in your approach. It’s a big step up when you are in international cricket. There is no doubt that he will take that path in time, whether that time is in months or more.