Mumbai Indians (MI) who have a galaxy of T20 stalwarts stars in Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Quinton De Kock and Kieron Pollard would once again fancy their chances to win a record extending fifth IPL title in the UAE.
The defending champions also have some promising youngsters in the mix who have pedigree and talent to become future stars of Indian cricket. One of them is their aggressive left handed wicket-keeper batsman Ishan Kishan.
While Proteas international Quinton De Kock being the frontline glovesman for Mumbai Indians in IPL 13, the defending champions also have the supremely talented Ishan Kishan who possesses the ability of being an outright match winner on his day.
Ishan Kishan has been in the pegging order behind the likes of Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson to stake a strong claim in the Indian team as the heir apparent to the legendary and now retired MS Dhoni for donning the keeping gloves for the 'Men in Blue'.
So here is an overview about Ishan Kishan's cricket career which promises to scale lofty heights in the future .
Born on 18 July, 1998 in Bihar's Capital City Patna, Ishan's cricketing pursuits and passion for the sport were fully backed by his father Pranav Kumar Pandey and brother Raj.
Kishan who plays his state cricket for Jharkhand, the same state as the legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni has always spoken highly about the major influence 'Mahi' had on him taking up the sport and grooming him in his initial years.
Ishan who otherwise hails from Bihar started playing for neighboring state Jharkhand based on a close friend's advice after a registration issue cropped up between Bihar Cricket Association and the BCCI.
Led India To Finals In 2016 ICC Under 19 World Cup
Ishan Kishan led India's Under-19 team at the 2016 ICC U-19 World Cup where they had a pretty successful campaign ending up as the losing finalist to eventual champions West Indies.
Kishan did not have a outing with the bat but did enough to attract eyeballs with his dynamic captaincy. It is notable that his contemporary Rishabh Pant ended up as the tournament's highest scorer.
Consistent Run Scorer For Jharkhand In Domestic Cricket
Ishan who made his first class debut for Jharkhand in 2014 has been an integral member of the state team over the past 4-5 seasons.
The diminutive wicket-keeper batsman has been a consistent run scorer in all formats of the game with his aggressive strokeplay ideally suited to the shorter formats in white ball cricket. The swashbuckling lefthander was the leading run-scorer for Jharkhand in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy, with a staggering 484 runs in six matches
Maiden IPL Stint With Gujarat Lions
Kishan bagged an IPL contract with Gujarat Lions in 2016 on the back of a prolific run scoring season in domestic cricket where he racked up plethora of runs and scored a century and five fifties in his first ten first class matches. His ball striking came to the fore when he struck a whirlwind 69-ball 89 runs against Saurashtra laced with eight towering sixes. He played the first two seasons of his IPL career with Gujarat Lions.
Mumbai Indians Roped Ishan For Rs 6.2 Crores In IPL Auction 2018
Kishan showed glimpses of his belligerent power hitting in his IPL season with Gujarat Lions in 2017 and became a lucrative buy in the IPL 2018 auctions where Mumbai Indians snapped him up for a whopping Rs 6.2 crores.
The hard hitting glovesman hasn't quite replicated his exploits with Mumbai Indians in the IPL but flashes of brilliance in the past have been a testament of the immense talent he possess with the willow.
The 2019 edition of the IPL saw Ishant having a horrid run with the bat scoring just 101 in seven matches. He fared slightly better in 2018 where he notched up 275 runs in 14 games for Mumbai Indians.
After blowing hot and cold over the past few seasons, IPL 2020 could be the turnaround season for the talented wicket-keeper batsman to go all guns blazing and make the world note of his talent and skill with both the willow and gloves behind the stumps.
Young cricketers style quotient
Not just Ishan's game, but even his flamboyance is worth noting. The young cricketers is found of being updated with the latest fashion trends. Ishan's Instragram profile tells it all. From donning 'Rapper' looks to experimenting with new hairstyles, the left-handed batman carry it off very well.
Those who follow Ishan on social media must have noticed about his Sai Baba tattoo on his left forearm.
Love for MS Dhoni
Earlier this year, Ishan revealed that former Indian skipper and cricketing icon MS Dhoni has had a massive impact on him and taught him the small things that helped him become a better player.
In a recent interview, Ishan also said that Dhoni gave some great advice to him on how to improve his game. "“Dhoni bhai saw me at the nets and walked up to me and said that I needed to curtail my attacking instincts to begin with," the rising star of Mumbai Indians said while speaking to Cricket Next.