Know Your Player – Ishan Kishan

Cricketing milestones, rise through the ranks, trials and tribulations and their glamorous lifestyles – we cover it all in ‘Know Your Player’, a brand-new section aimed at keeping you updated with everything you need to know! In this edition, we take a look at the dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman who is one of the most promising upcoming talents, Ishan Kishan. Keep watching this space for a new superstar every time!

The Rise

Born in Patna, Bihar, Ishan started playing for neighbouring state Jharkhand due to registration issues between Bihar Cricket Association and the BCCI. In 2016, Ishan Kishan scored 273 runs against Delhi in the 2016–17 Ranji Trophy. This was the highest score by a player for Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy. In the following season, he was the leading run-scorer for Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy.

In January 2018, Kishan was bought by the Mumbai Indians. The same year, he was named in India C’s squad for the 2018–19 Deodhar Trophy and went on to score a century in the tournament’s final.

Continuing his upward rise, Kishan was named in the India Red team’s squad for the 2019–20 Duleep Trophy. He was further selected to play for India A thus setting him up for the national call-up.

Against England in February 2021, Kishan was named in India’s Twenty20 squad. He made his T20I debut for India on 14 March 2021, scoring 56 off 32 balls in a winning cause.

IPL Exploits

Kishan made his IPL debut for Gujarat Lions in IPL 2016. After two seasons, he was bought by Mumbai Indians which is his current IPL franchise. The team stuck with the youngster despite him not delivering any spectacular performances. IPL 2020 was Kishan’s breakthrough season. He smashed 516 runs in 14 matches which included four half-centuries. This performance also saw him getting a spot in the national T20I team. In the IPL 2022 mega auction, Mumbai Indians bought him back for a whopping price of 15.25 crores.

Off The Field

At an early stage of his cricketing career, Ishan’s brother Raj Kishan had supported him in pursuing his dream to become a cricketer. Raj himself wanted to become a cricketer but decided to back Ishan instead. Apart from cricket, Ishan is interested in Table Tennis (TT) and plays it as his hobby.