'That's why he was bought at such huge price at IPL auction': Gambhir hails India star's 'selfless batting' vs SA
Gambhir hailed the 23-year-old as a "dangerous batter" and admitted it being the reason behind the youngster going for a colossal price at the IPL 2022 auction.
Despite a seven-wicket loss in the series opener on Thursday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Team India had a few positives to gain and take forward in their next match. One of the biggest was answered by the 23-year-old star and former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir was full of praise for his "selfless batting" in the first T20I against South Africa.
One of the biggest talking point for India heading into the series was the lack of intent from the top-order batters in the powerplay in T20I cricket. But Ishan Kishan answered it in style. While he and Ruturaj Gaikwad, India's new opening pair for the first T20I, scored an impressive 51/0 in the powerplay, Ishan carried the momentum after the latter's dismissal with his 48-ball 76. Ishan laced 11 boundaries and three sixes during his knock that helped India finish with 211 for 4, the highest first-innings total by a team at the venue in T20Is.
Speaking to Star Sports after the match, Gambhir hailed Ishan as a "dangerous batter" and admitted it being the reason behind the youngster going for a colossal price at the IPL 2022 auction.
"He is that type of a batter as well. He is dangerous and this was probably the reason why Mumbai Indians bought him at such a huge price at the auction. From this, you come to know that you have come after playing 14 consecutive T20 matches to a small ground with a good pitch and a fast outfield and the way Ishan Kishan batted," he said.
The India great also hailed Ishan's batting as "selfless" and explained why.
"The best thing that was seen in Ishan was that if probably there was some other player, when he had gotten an over with 20 runs, he might have thought of taking a single and then taking chances in the next over. But he wanted to convert that 20 runs to 26 runs. This is the batting you want to see in T20 cricket, you call this selfless batting," he said.
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar, who was part of the same discussion, hailed that the 23-year-old can end India's search for a left-handed batter at the top of the order in white-ball cricket.
"It is the biggest positive because the way the T20 game is evolving, you want a right-left combination always. If you have very high-quality right-handers, then it is a different thing but the Indian team is searching for that player after Shikhar Dhawan's departure," he said.