After producing an epic knock of 270, Ishan Kishan on Monday said he has freed his mind from “overthinking” and “expectations” to focus solely on batting after a turbulent phase in his career, and he is pleased with the ensuing result. That is the only thing that helps you in your career,” Kishan said in the post-day press meet. East Zone skipper Kishan saw his monumental effort in the Duleep Trophy final against South Zone here as the most visible manifestation of that inner change. “I didn’t actively try to change myself. It just happened naturally. When I was out of the (India) squad, I realised that we ultimately only have one job to do: simply to score runs.
Coming into the final, Kishan said he realigned his focus, spending more time with batting partners to gradually build stands. So, what were his plans while facing South Zone bowlers, particularly after coming into the tournament after a few white ball matches? “I was here at the BCCI CoE before coming here. We were practicing there, specifically with the red ball. When you play T20s regularly, you start playing a lot of shots — which is what happened in my first innings against the North East Zone (in Duleep Trophy). “In the middle, I went to play a cut and then got double-minded about whether to hit it or not and got out.
Back in 2023, Kishan was an all-format player for India but a trail of unforeseen events culminated in him even losing BCCI’s central contracts.
But that is the time when you have to talk to yourself; you have to control that, calm your thoughts about whether you are taking the right decision or not, and after that, you execute your plans,” he said. Kishan said he enjoyed the whole experience as it gave him time to reflect on his game. “Any other thoughts will only manipulate your mindset, push you into overthinking, and pile on unnecessary pressure. I realised that those extraneous thoughts aren’t necessary. Our job is to step in and win matches for the team. “At times, you will, obviously, lose patience. “When you’re playing a final and you are already a multi-format player, who has played for India for quite some time, the team members expect you to score runs. So, it’s very important for me to be in the middle and get as many runs for your team. But was it tough for him to go through the grind in the more simple backdrop of domestic cricket, away from the familiar roaring of crowds and flashing cameras?
