Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels that the likes of young players like Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan are not worried about losing their wicket but instead are focused more on backing their instincts to get results.
Over the last few months, Team India has seen a tectonic shift in its plans for T20 cricket. This culminated in their recent series against England when the team selected young, dynamic youngsters like Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, and Ishan Kishan.
While talking to ESPNCricinfo, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar lauded Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan for being fearless and said that they only think about hitting the next ball for four and six and are not worried about getting out.
"The thing to like about Ishan Kishan is that he is an excellent player of spin. But more importantly, what is exciting me is that these are batsmen who are not afraid to get out. Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan… they are not looking to extend their innings. No long-term plans. It's just about hitting that next ball for fours and six, and if it is their day, they will get you a big score," Sanjay Manjrekar told ESPNCricinfo.
Manjrekar said that even if Kishan and Pant failed to bat for long enough they will put in the team in such a situation where other batsmen can come and wrap the things up.
"If they don't play long enough, they will put you in a position like this where the other batsmen will come and wrap things up. That's where I think Indian T20 batting might start showing a different phase where most of their batsmen won't be caring about getting out and playing long innings," he said.
Manjrekar said that Ishan Kishan’s innings in the first T20I against England had plenty of shades of how he approaches his batting while playing for Mumbai Indians.
"He was fortunate to get a ball on his pads first up, to get that first boundary so runs on the board is always good. But you saw the Mumbai Indians approach that Ishan Kishan has all the time batting down the order and not necessarily at the top, and that came into the Indian team today," said Sanjay Manjrekar.
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Manjrekar further lauded Kishan for the way he plays pull shots. He said that the latter actually picks his spots when he plays the pull shot.
"He is a formidable batsman for any bowler purely because if you pitch it up to him, he can hit you straight into the crowd. Bowl it short, he can pull you in the stands.
"And the pull that he plays is not an instinctive one kind of pull, one style that a lot of Indian batsmen play. His pull is not an inherent shot that we grow up playing. He actually picks his spots when he's playing the pull shot." he concluded.
The five-match T20I series between India and England stands level at 1-1. The third match will be played on 16th March at Narendra Modi Stadium.
(ESPNCricinfo inputs)
