Ishan Kishan Doesn't Have Much Height But He Times The Ball Sweetly - Ramiz Raja

Former Pakistan batsman, Ramiz Raja lavished high praises on Ishan Kishan’s power-hitting batting style after the left-hander smashed his maiden T20I fifty on his debut – only the second Indian after Ajinkya Rahane to do so – against England on Sunday helping the hosts to a series-levelling victory.

Chasing a target of 165 runs, India got off to a shock start with KL Rahul getting out for a duck. However, this didn’t impede Kishan from playing his attacking game. With a boundary on his first ball, off the bowling of Jofra Archer, the southpaw rumbled along to his half-century; he even overshadowed Virat Kohli, the master chaser, in their 94-run stand.

The 22-year-old harrumphed 5 fours and 4 sixes in his 32-ball innings of 56 runs setting up Kohli and others for the chase. Kishan was adjudged as the Man of the Match despite Virat Kohli’s 73 off 49; Ramiz Raja concurs with the decision and lauds the diminutive batsman for his game-changing innings.

“Virat Kohli looked in fine form but with the bat my hero was debutant Ishan Kishan. He has plenty of potential and talent and played with freedom. And I think he has come into a brilliant environment where he has a captain who applauds all his shots from the non-striker’s end,” Ramiz Raja said on his YouTube channel.

“He does a lot of power-hitting. He doesn’t have much height but he times the ball sweetly. He believes his sixes, not fours. He is a game-changer,” he added.

Kishan’s and Suryakumar Yadav’s inclusions were good to see: Ramiz Raja

Ramiz Raja is happy to see both Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav being handed their India debuts on Sunday. The 58-year-old opines that the Indian management has given the license of freedom to these young players. Raja also believes that the management has taken correct decisions to reward the players who have been brilliant in the IPL.

Both the players played significant roles in Mumbai Indians winning their fifth IPl title last season. In fact, Kishan apart from being the leading run-scorer for Mumbai, also hit the most sixes in the tournament last year, and Yadav has been their consistent performer in the last three seasons.

While the right-hander didn’t get the chance to bat on Sunday, however, with the management tilting towards more attacking batting options, he is likely to get more opportunities.

“A license has been given which states: ‘We are changing the course of our direction in terms of batting. You go and hit fours and sixes. No problem if you get out in the process. You are a certainty.’ His and Suryakumar Yadav’s inclusions were good to see. Till the time, you don’t give such prolific performers of the IPL the chance, won’t identify outstanding talent, the progress won’t be as effective,” the former batsman added.

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