Ishan Kishan must be himself- that's his USP

16th February, 2022, India have restricted the West Indies to a middling total and the onus is now on Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma to put the result beyond doubt. The former, for those wondering, attracted the second-highest bid ever for an Indian player at the IPL auction days ago. He has also been touted to be the belligerent presence the India require at the top.

From that standpoint, a target of 158 is perfect for the left-handed batter. He can throw caution to the wind, knowing that there is enough batting to offset a potentially low personal score. He also understands that a brash proclamation of his hitting prowess would knock the stuffing out of the West Indies and help India land the decisive blow that could define the series.

For a while, though, he is a mere by-stander as Rohit rips the Caribbean outfit’s bowling attack to shreds. The Indian skipper, who usually takes his time at the outset, has decided to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. This, by the way, is the new ultra-aggressive approach Rohit has been preaching – an approach that has been designed for players like him and of course, Kishan.

The latter, however, chooses to bide his time. Runs in the Power Play are hard to come by and when he is presented with scoring opportunities, he snatches at it. He only scores 19 runs during the field restrictions, even as India blaze away to 58/0. More damningly, those runs come off 20 balls, which considering his propensity to obliterate bowling attacks, is slightly paradoxical.

The Mumbai Indians batter’s fortunes don’t improve after the Power Play either. He gets a few shots away but none is attempted (or nailed) with the authority synonymous with him. He tries to scratch his way out of trouble but in the 12th over, he loses patience. He has a hack across the line and is caught at deep mid-wicket, leaving India 93/2 after 12 overs.

In the meantime, the required run rate, which was closer to six post the Power Play, has gone a tick above eight. This, in a nutshell, is the progression India are longing to steer away from. And, a progression that many feel can be halted by Kishan. Not this time though.

To Kishan and India’s delight, Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer ensure that there are no hiccups thereafter. Both display an array of strokes and finish the match in the 19th over.

Indian fans, as should be the case, celebrate a tightly-contested victory – a victory where their lower middle order has stood up to be counted. Deep down, however, there is still a sense of unfulfilled potential, as far as Kishan is concerned.

Over the past few years, not many Indian batters have been as free-flowing as Kishan. He has regularly lit up the IPL and while he endured a barren patch at the start of the 2021 edition, he roared into form towards the end. During this sequence, he played his best cricket when he took the game to the opposition at the top of the order.

Even for India, his best performance, which remains a fifty on T20I debut against England, came when he mercilessly attacked the English bowling attack – an attack that comprised of Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer.

Ishan Kishan has struggled in his two most recent international appearances

In his two most recent international appearances, though, he has moved away from a formula that has worked. In the 1st ODI against the West Indies, he looked lacklustre, didn’t showcase enough intent and perished when attempting the big shot.

The 1st T20I illustrated a similar narrative. On both occasions, Rohit rattled along at breakneck speed, and a case could be made that runs scored in a partnership are paramount. But this is not what Kishan was introduced to provide.

Owing to Rohit’s repertoire of strokes, there will be instances when Kishan has to play second fiddle. The intent (or lack thereof), however, is something that is entirely under the left-handed batter’s control. Rather unfortunately, that has fallen short of expectations in the past couple of matches.

The wicket-keeper can throw caution to the wind

The counter-argument could be that the wicket-keeper, like all batters, needs a bit of time to acclimatize himself. There is nothing wrong in it too. But in an Indian batting unit, which already comprises of Rohit and Virat Kohli – batters who usually eat up a few deliveries, this Kishan avatar becomes redundant.

In the 1st ODI against the West Indies, Kishan scored 28 (36). The T20I encounter saw him meander to 35 (42). This, considering his tendency to tee off, is a dampener in itself. But when pitted against the embarrassment of riches India has, it becomes even more perplexing.

In a microcosm, this was the sort of knock that India, through Kishan’s inclusion, wanted to move away from. These kinds of innings can be played by KL Rahul, Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan. And, you can argue that each will make a better fist of it than Kishan because, well, they have more experience playing this brand of cricket.

The distinguishing factor for Kishan is his ability to throw caution to the wind at the outset. When he gets going, he can be severe against any type of bowling and the conditions don’t matter much to him either. And, usually, they will culminate in victories for the Indian team.

It is also important to acknowledge that failures will accrue along the way. There will be days when he gets out to a loose stroke and the debate about being carefree and careless will rage deep into the night. But when everything clicks, Kishan will provide what most Indian batters can’t – instant impetus.

At this stage, it is imperative that Kishan understands why he was brought into the fold. He was included to tear bowling attacks to smithereens and to take the pressure off Rohit because his MI captain has the proclivity to stitch together hundreds (even in T20 cricket). Rohit’s wicket, it could be argued, is slightly more valuable to the larger Indian cause.

That, though, doesn’t mean the left-handed batter's contribution isn’t vital. If anything, Rohit can play in the manner he wants only if Kishan bats the way he can. And, that, as things stand, is the only avenue that can cast the left-handed batter as an opening option ahead of Rahul.

The former Gujarat Lions batter hasn’t played much international cricket and a lack of clarity is pardonable. But the sooner he understands that he should continue being Ishan Kishan, rather than trying to become someone else, the quicker his true value will be realized.

On days that he fails, there will, rather unsurprisingly, be a consensus of people clamouring for his head. But when he gets going, this will morph into collective gasps of awe.

Under ordinary circumstances, a middle ground is the best possible outcome. In Kishan’s case, though, boom or bust is what sets him apart because, well, not many can go as boom as he can. All he needs now is a bit of security and an arm around his shoulder, whispering to him that he can be what he wants without worrying about his place in the side.