Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara shares insights into how Ishan Kishan might approach the challenge posed by Shaheen Afridi ahead of the IND vs PAK T20 World Cup 2026 clash.
Cheteshwar Pujara speaking to ESPNcricinfo, pointed out that Ishan Kishan is most comfortable when the ball comes into him, especially when it is pitched around off or middle stump. Those are the deliveries he enjoys playing.
His strike rate against left-arm pacers is 109.31, as he has scored only 176 runs against them in T20Is. Kishan likes to dominate when the ball comes onto his bat, like he did in the Namibia game where he smashed 28 runs in one over.
However, it will be interesting to see how he plays the ball that moves away from him, as Shaheen has the ability to swing it both ways.
“Normally, Ishan prefers the ball coming at him – balls which are pitched on off stump, middle stump. He loves those deliveries to play either on the leg or the off side. But the moment the ball starts to go away from him, especially from a left-arm seamer, that might challenge him a bit. It would be interesting to see how he plays against Shaheen Afridi,” Pujara said.
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Ishan Kishan, in the match against Namibia, was building his innings at the start. He was 22 off 14 balls. But when JJ Smit came into the attack again in the last over of the poweplay, Ishan went berserk and smashed him for 28 runs in the over. The first ball was a dot, but after that he hit four sixes and then finished the over with a boundary. With that, he completed his half-century in just 20 balls.
His strike rate was around 157 before the over, and after it, it jumped to 250. That is how Ishan changed the game and accelerated his innings. He ended on 61 off 24 balls, which included six fours and five sixes.
His innings was crucial in helping the team post more than 200. After being 120 in 10 overs, they managed only 89 runs in the last 10 overs and lost seven wickets, finishing on 209/9.
Ishan Kishan, since making his comeback to the side, has been in brilliant form and is one of the important batters for India. He has played six matches so far and scored 296 runs at an average of 49.33, including two half-centuries and a century.
Just like Abhishek Sharma is important for India in the powerplay, Ishan is also crucial. The way he plays and dominates bowlers in the powerplay helps India get off to a fast start.
Given the slowness of the pitch in Colombo, where spinners could play a big role, it will be interesting to see how he builds his innings. Hitting every ball out of the park might not be easy on such a surface.
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