Rohit Sharma is a very experienced captain – Ishan Kishan lauds the Indian skipper for his unwavering support of youngsters

Ishan Kishan made his Test debut against West Indies in the recently concluded two-match series and he scored his maiden half-century in the second innings of the second Test, where India waited patiently on the doorsteps of a clean sweep only to be refuted by incessant downpour on day five.

During the second Test, one narrative that caught the eye was the promotion of Ishan Kishan at No.4 ahead of Virat Kohli, in a bid to shift gears. Ishan’s relentless aggression was the key ingredient of India’s push towards putting up a big total, enough to challenge the hosts with a tough target.

A day after the Test match, as India prepare for the ODI series against the Islanders, the wicket-keeper batter opened up on what exactly the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma told him ahead of his promotion in the batting order for that particular innings.

Talking about the Indian skipper, Ishan said, “Rohit Sharma is a very experienced captain. He tries to keep everyone in that comfort zone. When I was going to bat, he just told me ‘You play your own game, play according to your plan and don’t listen to anyone else.’ It is a massive thing to a youngster that a captain is backing you and it motivates you to do well.”

He further added, “I appreciate it if someone else gets selected in the side and performs because I know how tough this game is, how you are tested mentally, how difficult it is to give that performance when there is so much expectation and pressure. So, I make an effort whenever I'm off or not playing so that I concentrate on my practice and prepare myself so that whenever I get the opportunity, I give my best.”

Ishan Kishan is in the Indian squad for the ODI series against West Indies, and it remains to be seen as to who between him and Sanju Samson get picked as the wicket-keeper for the first ODI that is scheduled for July 27 at Kensington Oval in Barbados.