Ishan's childhood coach hopes batter's maiden IPL ton will lead to much better performances, Indian team return

By Vivek Prabhakar Singh
Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 23 (ANI): Following Ishan Kishan's match-winning ton against Rajasthan Royals (RR), the wicketkeeper-batter's childhood coach Uttam Mazumdar expressed happiness at his pupil's knock and expressed hope that this knock will pave way for better performances in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) and his return to the Indian team.
A fine century by Ishan on his debut in Orange along with a half-century from opener Travis Head powered Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to 286/6 against RR at their home ground of Uppal Stadium on Sunday, and Men in Orange continued from where they started last season, falling just two runs short of two runs of breaking their record of highest team total in IPL history. RR could make only 242/6 and lost the match by 44 runs. Kishan took home the 'Player of the Match' award.
Speaking to ANI, the coach said that he enjoyed watching the innings with his family and cheered for Ishan loudly.
"This innings could open the doors back to the Indian team. My blessings are with him and he should keep playing this way. There are so many series coming, such as Asia Cup and T20 World Cup (in 2026), I think the way he plays and his world record (of fastest double century in ODIs) will never be forgotten. He did well in the domestic season, scored centuries and in the intra-squad practice matches before this IPL, he scored three fifties. This knock will give him a lot of confidence," said Uttam.
Uttam said that the confidence and experience he has received from his recent outings in domestic cricket will be good for his career. He also lauded the southpaw for his calculated aggression.
"I always told him to also take things slowly during his innings for a while and mix aggression with caution. He did just that today. This is commendable. He is a wonderful player. He is a big-match player. When he was not given chances, he did not get sad," he added.
Uttam is also really happy with the healthy competition for wicketkeeper-batter slot in white-ball cricket among names like Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel, Jitesh Sharma, who are in the reckoning alongside experienced names like Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul.
"I am happy that there is such a competition for wicketkeeper-batters. There are so many youngsters coming and the competition looks healthy. This relaxes the team management and selectors. I hope Ishan will get his chances in the upcoming series," he added.
Coming to the match, SRH was put to bat first by RR, who opted to field first. A 45-run stand between Abhishek (24 in 11 balls, with five fours) and Head kickstarted things for SRH. An 85-run stand between Head (67 in 31 balls, with nine fours and three sixes) and Kishan accelerated the run-rate). Cameos came from Nitish Kumar Reddy (30 in 15 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and Heinrich Klaasen (34 in 14 balls, with five fours and a six) and provided good support to Ishan, who ended with 106* in 47 balls, with 11 fours and six sixes.
Tushar Deshpande (3/44) was the top bowler for RR, while Maheesh Theekshana got two scalps for 52 runs. Jofra Archer delivered the most expensive over in IPL history, going wicketless for 76 runs in four overs.
During the run-chase, RR sunk to 24/2, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and skipper Riyan Parag going back to the pavilion for single-digit scores. However, a fighting 111-run partnership between Sanju Samson (66 in 37 balls, with seven fours and four sixes) and Dhruv Jurel (70 in 35 balls, with five fours and six sixes) gave RR a fighting chance.
Shimron Hetmyer (42* in 23 balls, with four and four sixes) and Shubham Dubey (34* in 11 balls, with a four and four sixes) did put an 80-run stand, but the score was too big for RR, and they ended at 242/6, losing the game by 44 runs.
Harshal Patel (2/34) and Simarjeet Singh (2/46) were the top bowlers for SRH, while Mohammed Shami got one.
Ishan got the 'Player of the Match' for his fine century. (ANI)