Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has praised Ishan Kishan’s desire to represent his state in domestic cricket. Kishan just guided Jharkhand to their first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy triumph and finished as the edition’s best scorer. Ashwin attributed Kishan’s India comeback to the respect he showed for the local grind, which included frequent participation at the level and consistent performance.
Notably, Ishan Kishan was recently picked up to India’s 15-member T20 World Cup squad following some strong local performances.
He last competed for the Men in Blue in all forms in 2023. He is expected to serve as a backup to Sanju Samson.
“Cricket has given Ishan Kishan a gift. People on the outside can have a guess on whether it was fair, unfair, and all, but life comes back in a circle. The reason Ishan (Kishan) was not on the side, and why he is in the team now, is because of one thing. He gave cricket the respect it deserves,” shared Ashwin in a video on his YouTube channel.
The erstwhile all-rounder also highlighted that Kishan stayed grounded and showed up even for the Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai before scoring runs in Ranji Trophy. The cricketer-turned-commentator commended Kishan’s character and reiterated the fact that it was only his willingness and drive that paved the path of his comeback.
“In First-Class, he even came to play in the Buchi Babu Invitational. A player like Ishan Kishan came in to play the Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai for Jharkhand. From there, he was there for Jharkhand in their preparation for the Ranji Trophy, where he was number one. And in First-Class cricket, he came in and scored runs. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he led Jharkhand and even performed well. It is because of this,” he added.
“It is not about Ishan Kishan the person; it is about Ishan Kishan the cricketer who went through the yards of the game, respected the game, and hence succeeded. In mathematics, we say LHS equals RHS; you must have heard it, it is basic mathematics. This is why he went through the ropes in domestic cricket, which is LHS, which equals RHS, which is selection. It is very simple,” concluded Ashwin.
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