'Felt quite bad': Ishan Kishan declares war on Sanju Samson for T20 World Cup spot after SMAT win

Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has opened up about his absence from the Indian team after guiding Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title. The left-handed batter said that he felt quite bad after his snub but added that he decided to respond by pushing himself harder rather than dwelling on frustration.

Kishan produced a match-winning performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final against Haryana. He scored 101 runs off just 49 balls, including 10 sixes, as Jharkhand piled up a huge total of 262 for 3 in their 20 overs. Jharkhand’s bowlers then struck at regular intervals and bowled out the opposition for 193.

When I Was Not Selected in the Indian Team… - Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan admitted that missing out on selection hurt, especially when he felt he was performing well. Kishan said that he chose to push himself harder and focus on helping his team win matches. He added that improving as a unit was more important than individual performance.

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“When I was not selected in the Indian team, I felt quite bad because I was doing well. But I told myself that if I am not selected with this sort of performance, then maybe I have to do more. Maybe I have to make my team win. Maybe we have to do well as a unit,” Sportstar quoted Kishan as saying.

“It’s important that you don’t allow the frustration to get to you. This is my message to all the youngsters - frustration is something that will take you one step down, but at the same time, you need to put in a lot of hard work and believe in yourself and just focus on what you need to achieve,” he added.

I’m Not Expecting Anything - Ishan Kishan on India Selection

Despite his impressive performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Ishan Kishan is not expected to be selected for the upcoming T20 World Cup. However, he stated that this no longer bothers him. Kishan said that he has moved past the phase of expecting selection.

“I know you fancy your chances a lot of times. And when you don’t see your name, you just feel bad about it. So, I’m not in that zone anymore. I’m not expecting anything. But my job is to just keep performing," he said.

Kishan was dropped on disciplinary grounds during Rahul Dravid’s tenure as head coach. The wicketkeeper-batter entered the domestic T20 season under pressure to justify himself. He scored 517 runs in 10 innings to finish as the T20 tournament’s top run-scorer.

It Is Definitely the Happiest Moment - Ishan Kishan

Kishan described Jharkhand’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy triumph as one of the most special moments of his career. He said that the title was important because it was the first domestic trophy the team had won under his leadership.

“It is definitely the happiest moment, because we have never won domestic tournaments under my captaincy. And, this was something where you had to prove yourself,” Kishan said.

“There are times when you doubt yourself but when you win it, it’s all done and you know what quality you have, what changes you can do to your game, how you can turn the game around. Now, I have more trust in myself, more belief in my batting," he added.

Also read: Yashasvi Jaiswal to skip Vijay Hazare Trophy despite BCCI's directive; here’s why