Virat Kohli consoled a ‘broken’ Ishan Kishan when he was on the verge of crying: ‘Bas kisi tarah aansu roke huye thhe’

Ishan Kishan recalled how Virat Kohli came up to him when the road got tough.

Updated on: Feb 3, 2026, 11:31:33 IST

Written by Aditya Bhattacharya

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Ishan Kishan’s comeback story is one for the ages. Holding the record for the fastest double century in ODI history, Ishan was stripped off the BCCI Central contract list in 2024, but the youngster went back to domestic cricket, embraced the grind, scored truckloads of runs and recently made his way back into the Indian squad for the New Zealand series and T20 World Cup. Immediately upon his return, Ishan made his intentions clear, smashing 76, 28 and 103 in his first three matches, after which it shouldn’t come as a surprise if he is the one chosen to open alongside Abhishek Sharma at the World Cup.

Virat Kohli's words helped Ishan Kishan (AFP)

After being in and out of the team for years, Ishan finally finds himself in a good place. However, it wasn’t the case a few years ago. Rewind to 2021, and Ishan was in the middle of a terrible form slump for the Mumbai Indians. Just the year before, Ishan had set the IPL on fire, scoring 516 runs, including an insane 99-run knock against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but failed to replicate that run the next season. With 241 runs from 10 matches, Ishan appeared ‘a broken young man’ as Ian Bishop pointed out on air after a game between MI and RCB, when none other than the great Virat Kohli walked up, had a chat and tried to console the distraught Indian batter.

The visuals of Ishan sitting helplessly after his knock nearly saw MI through against RCB in 2020 were nothing compared to his body language standing next to Kohli. Ishan recalled how Kohli’s words came at the right time, revealing he fought back tears as Kohli spoke to him.

“I was very sad during another match. Remember a video had come, where I was on the verge of crying before Virat bhai consoled me. Bas kisi tarah se aansu roke huye thhe (I just somehow managed to hold back tears). He [Virat] must have seen me just lying there. Poor kid; he probably must be thinking too much,” Ishan said on the 2 Sloggers Podcast.

And as fate would have it, the very next year, Kohli was at the non-striker’s end when Ishan entered the history books by blasting a double hundred off just 121 balls, and breaking Chris Gayle’s record in the process. Ishan and Kohli added 290 runs for India's second wicket.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aditya Bhattacharya
Aditya Bhattacharya is the Sports Editor at Hindustan Times Digital, with close to 15 years of experience in sports journalism. Over the course of his career, he has worked with leading media organisations including Cricbuzz, The Times of India, Network18 and Zee. Primarily a cricket writer, Aditya has covered several marquee events, including the 2016 ICC World T20, the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and the 2023 World Cup in India. His reporting portfolio also includes international cricket across England, South Africa and New Zealand, along with forays into tennis, including coverage of the Australian Open. He has interviewed several prominent athletes across sports. Aditya began his career with a brief stint at CricketNext before getting his first major break at Cricbuzz, where he was part of the Times Network’s startup venture GoCricket, which later merged with Cricbuzz. After nearly 18 months there, he moved to The Times of India, covering his first World Cup assignment and reporting first-hand on landmark moments such as Virat Kohli’s iconic innings against Australia in Mohali. During his three-year tenure, he played a key role in both reporting and desk operations and was recognised as TOI Employee of the Quarter in 2016. He later joined Zee, where he covered the 2019 World Cup across five venues in England—an assignment he considers a career highlight. At Hindustan Times, Aditya’s leadership came to the fore as he was promoted to lead the sports team within 18 months. Under his stewardship, the section has delivered extensive coverage of global sporting events, including the IPL, Olympics, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. In 2024, he was named HT DigiStar of the Year. Aditya continues to adapt to the evolving digital publishing landscape, with a sharp focus on search and audience engagement. Outside work, he occasionally plays the guitar and remains an avid gamer.Read More

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