Ishan Kishan is a prodigious talent from Jharkhand who has blessed Indian cricket with a giant in the form of MS Dhoni. Ishan has had a lot of attention in his brief career, and it’s just a matter of a couple of decent seasons before he’s knocking on the national team’s door.
Career
Domestic Career
Kishan made his first-class debut for Jharkhand in December 2014. He first attracted the attention of the selectors when he scored a century and five fifties in his debut Ranji season in 2014. Ishan Kishan’s best domestic performance came on November 6, 2016, when he scored 273 runs against Delhi in the 2016–17 Ranji Trophy. In the Ranji Trophy, this was the highest result by a player for Jharkhand. With 405 runs in nine matches, he was the top run-scorer for Jharkhand in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Under-19 Career
Kishan rose to prominence in 2016 when he was selected to captain the Indian under-19 team at the u-19 World Cup in Dhaka. Despite a weak batsmanship (73 runs in six innings) in a tournament where Rishabh Pant dominated the scoring charts, Rishabh Pant led India to the finals and eventually finished second. Kishan’s astute captaincy earned him respect from a variety of quarters.
IPL Career
Gujarat Lions first acquired Ishan Kishan in 2016 after he captained India at the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, where his side finished second to West Indies. The now-defunct franchise paid Rs 35 lakhs for him. The Jharkhand wicket-keeper appeared in 16 games over two seasons, scoring just 319 runs.
He was purchased for INR 5.5 crore by Mumbai Indians in 2018. Ishan batted in 14 games in 2018 and seven games in 2019, averaging 16.83 runs per game. He is projected to have a breakthrough season in 2020.
Background
Ishan Kishan was born in Patna, Bihar, to Pranav Kumar Pandey and Suchitra Singh on July 18, 1998. Kishan’s father, Pranav Kumar Pandey, works as a contractor. Raj Kishan, Ishan’s brother, encouraged him to pursue cricket as a profession. Ishan began playing for neighbouring state Jharkhand on the suggestion of a senior player and friend due to a registration dispute between the Bihar Cricket Association and the BCCI. Ishan draws comparisons to Mahendra Singh Dhoni since they both come from the same city.