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India National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has opened up about the big change in his batting mindset ahead of the second T20I against the Afghanistan National Cricket Team on Tuesday, September 15, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
The left-handed batter feels he is now playing with a calmer approach and is no longer putting extra pressure on himself to find boundaries. Kishan believes that this change has helped him trust his natural game more, and the result is in front of everyone. Earlier, Sunil Gavaskar slams Ishan Kishan and East Zone for defensive approach in Duleep Trophy final.
Ishan Kishan reveals big change in his batting mindset
Ishan Kishan explained that his main focus now is on hand-eye coordination. He does not think too much about where he wants to hit the ball. His plan is simple: watch the ball until the last moment and identify his scoring options.
Speaking to the official broadcaster in Delhi, Ishan Kishan said, as quoted by Cricbuzz, "I think I'm not over-trying to play shots. I'm not thinking about playing shots. It's just that my body's reacting to it. So, I'm just focusing more on my hand-eye coordination. It's not that I'm thinking about a particular area where I want to hit. It's just about watching the ball till the last moment, understanding what the bowler is trying to do and where my run-scoring options are.”
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter stressed that he wants to stay calm and not overthink his batting. He believes that if he spends enough time at the crease, watches the ball carefully, and trusts his natural game, the runs will come automatically. So, he is focusing on staying at the crease, reading the ball, and trusting his ability instead of putting pressure on himself to score quickly.
Ishan Kishan opens up on biggest change in his batting
Well, Kishan also admitted that things were very different earlier in his career. He used to think about scoring runs for the team, putting too much pressure on himself to score runs, keep his place in the team, and make everyone happy.
He said that those thoughts created fear and didn’t allow him to play his natural shots. That fear affected his natural batting, and he started playing more carefully and holding himself back.
But now, the left-handed batter believes in staying calm, watching the ball carefully and playing his natural shots. He feels that at the international level, players already have the required skills, so the right mindset and staying relaxed are very important for success. Amid this, “Definitely, you feel bad”: Kuldeep Yadav breaks silence on Test snub.
"You just have to keep it simple": Ishan Kishan on new batting approach
Notably, Ishan is enjoying a brilliant 2026 season. He smashed 270 and 80 in the Duleep Trophy final and helped East Zone win the title. He also scored 42 off 33 in the first T20I against Afghanistan, and during his knock, he became the first Indian batter to hit 50 international sixes in the calendar year 2026.
Ishan explained, “I think I've just realized that if you're in the middle, if you're calm, you're just trying to watch the ball and not the bowler, and you're just playing your shots. So, everything is taken care of, and you just have to keep it simple because at the end of the day when you're playing at this level, obviously you have all the skills and everything. It's just the mindset, which is the most important thing. So, the calmer you are in the middle, the better you get every day.”
