"Hardik would be there to pull my leg to get me in that zone and start working hard" - Ishan Kishan on Mumbai Indians' importance in his career 

Team India wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan has opened up on the impact that the Mumbai Indians (MI) have had on his career so far.

The five-time IPL champions roped in the youngster for ₹6.2 crore at the 2018 auction. He then went on to become one of the most expensive players in the history of the competition after MI shelled out ₹15.25 crore to bring him back at the 2022 mega-auction.

Kishan initially represented the now-defunct Gujarat Lions following his heroics as captain in the 2016 U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. He became MI's leading run-scorer in their title-winning campaign in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2020, batting in the middle order as well as an opener.

Stating how MI have improved his ability to deal with pressure and perform, Kishan said on One Cricket:

"Mumbai Indians have helped me a lot, like how to deal with pressure situations and also there were so many big players in that team and I got to learn a lot. When I was not doing well also, not necessarily the result on the ground, but Hardik would be there to pull my leg to get me in that zone and start working hard. So, these things also matter to me a lot."

While Kishan did not have the best of campaigns in the 2022 edition, where MI found themselves at the bottom of the points table for the first time, he is primed to play a key role in the upcoming season.

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"We just try to help each other out" - Ishan Kishan on his relationship with Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant

The robust domestic structure has unearthed a vast talent pool, among which several received the opportunity to play for India.

However, the majority of the players are on the sidelines due to the imperious quality of the starting XI and have no choice but to wait for their chances.

As a result, Kishan finds himself in a tough spot in a bid to become Team India's first-choice wicketkeeper. He is up against his former U-19 World Cup teammate Rishabh Pant as well as Sanju Samson.

Revealing that he shares a cordial relationship with his competitors, Kishan said:

"We just try to help each other out, like how to be a better player because at the end of the day, all of us know that we are going to represent out country, so if India wins we are happy about it, not thinking if I scored a hundred or Pant or Samson did."

He continued:

"If we have any doubt, we do talk to each other about it. We just want to focus on ourselves, how we can get better day by day and how can we help our country to win the game."

The left-handed batter has made major strides over his peers by being the youngest player to record an ODI double hundred, smashing 210 off 131 balls against Bangladesh earlier in the month.

He could be in contention for the 2023 ODI World Cup squad if he keeps up this form in the coming months.

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