Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan delivered a Player-of-the-Match performance in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) five-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Saturday (April 25).

Chasing 229 to win, Kishan slammed 74 off 31 balls and added 132 runs for the second wicket with Abhishek Sharma (57 off 29) to help SRH overhaul the target with nine deliveries to spare.

Speaking after the game, Kishan made it clear that serving SRH as interim skipper in Pat Cummins' absence had not changed his approach.

"No, I think as a wicketkeeper also you've got to do the same job. So I was just keeping it simple because I felt, that it's a very good wicket to bat on and, we just tried to restrict them under 230 and we were able to do that,” Kishan said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

The southpaw expressed admiration for Cummins upon returning the leadership duties, highlighting the benefit of latter’s bowling expertise to the team.

After captaining for seven games, Kishan welcomed the change, allowing him to focus on his batting and wicket-keeping roles.

“It was quite fun, leading the side for seven games and, Pat coming in, giving us that extra bowling power. So I was very happy when he was coming in the team anyway because he's a tremendous captain anyway. So I was just thinking about my batting and wicketkeeping more than leadership,” he added.

Reflecting on SRH’s aggressive batting approach against the RR attack, Kishan said confidence and clarity were key.

“It's just that you have to keep on watching the ball and play your shots. You know, you can't get into a zone where you have a fear of failure when you're doubting yourself or something. You just have to keep it simple and play your game.”

He also spoke about the challenge of facing RR pace spearhead Jofra Archer. “I think it was pretty quick and it got a little extra bounce than what I expected, but yeah, I'm happy to get six runs out of it. Sometimes, you know, I think fortune always favors the brave. So you just have to watch the ball and keep on going. I think that was a good morning session for me.”

Ishan Kishan emphasized maintaining a calm approach during SRH’s daunting chase, relying on a solid powerplay start to set the tone.

His strategy focused on staying in the right headspace, focusing on watching the ball, and taking advantage of big gaps on the ground, noting his "best is yet to come" after the win.

“I think we were pretty calm and the most important thing when you're chasing a total like 228 is you need a good powerplay first of all. And having Head and Abhishek as an opener, they make the job pretty easier for rest of the batsmen, even if they bat for four overs. So I was just batting with them, communicating with Abhishek. He was well aware of the game, what's happening, what run-rate is going on. So I was just playing my shots and we both, I think, did a great partnership in the middle, which helped our team.

“I think calmness is about, the skillset is always there. You have to be in good headspace. It's about just watching the ball and not being predetermined about what shots we have to play. So I was just thinking like, let's just watch the ball. It's a big ground. I'll get some more gaps, big gaps. I think bigger ground means you'll always get big gaps. So, when the ball is not there, maybe you can push it in the gap and you keep the run-rate going. So that was the job and I think it was a pretty good wicket. Not much thinking to do, just bat, just bat and just enjoy,” Ishan remarked.

“(Is this the best you have batted recently?) No, I think my best is yet to come,” he concluded.