Ishan Kishan made headlines across the cricketing world when he was acquired by the Mumbai Indians (MI) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction for a whopping INR 15.25 Cr. But, unfortunately, it's been a rough ride for the Patna-born player, with poor outings for India and his franchise.
His form with the bat in the current season has hardly been inspiring or worth the money he is being remunerated for.
In his defence, Kishan said that it is not him alone, more prominent players have gone through this struggle, "Even the biggest of players (can struggle), I have seen the likes of Chris Gayle taking time (to start hitting). Every day is a new day, and every match is new. Some day, you get a good start, someday, opposition bowlers come prepared, and they bowl the balls at good areas. The planning inside the dressing room may be different from what the outside people want," Kishan explained.
The left-hander has amassed 370 runs in 13 matches at an average of 30.83, including three fifty-plus scores.
He also elaborated on his role in the Rohit-Sharma-led franchise, saying that it was just not hit mindlessly in the middle.
"In cricket, it can never be sure that you have just one role, and I will just go out and hit the ball. If you think about the team, it is more important to understand about your role. If the opposition bowlers are bowling well, you need to give respect to them, and if you can save wicket, it makes it easier for the batters coming later," the keeper-batsman added.
A Tim David blitz was not enough to take Mumbai home in their last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), where the five-time champion side lost by just three runs.
Kishan said that if David had stood in the middle for a couple more balls, the result could have been different. "Unfortunately, Tim David was run out. If he was till the end, he could have finished the game," Kishan concluded.
Mumbai's last league game will be against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Saturday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.