IPL 2020: Learning How to Keep Opposition Confused from Likes of Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya, Says Mumbai Indians' Batsman Ishan Kishan

Abu Dhabi, October 3: Ahead of the match against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Mumbai Indians' batsman Ishan Kishan on Saturday said that he is learning from the likes of Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya how to keep rotating the strike in order to keep the opposition confused.

"I think I have been working with the likes of Pollard and Hardik Pandya for the last three years, and I know how they plan the game, it is just not about power hitting, it is also about how they take the game to the last over, how they put pressure on the bowlers and how they rotate the strike. So this is something, I am really learning how to rotate the strike and keep the opposition confused.

You have to know about your next move, you just cannot go out there and start hitting," said Kishan while replying to an ANI query during a virtual press conference. Kishan also said that he worked on his gameplay in the offside region as he realised that opposition teams found out about his slight weakness in hitting the shots through the covers. Also Read | MI vs SRH Dream11 Team Prediction IPL 2020: Tips to Pick Best Fantasy Playing XI for Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Indian Premier League Season 13 Match 17.

"I think I was not good at playing shots through cover and all, but I have worked on it during the offseason. Teams have meetings before the match and they discuss as to what weak spots of every player are. It is important for us to go practice about that in the offseason," Kishan said.

The 22-year-old Kishan has played two matches in this year's IPL so far and has managed to score 127 runs, including a 99-run knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Talking about his 28-run knock against Punjab, Kishan said: "I think it was about the conditions against Punjab, not the expectations you know, the pitch was not that easy, it was double-paced, sometimes it was coming on to the bat and sometimes it was nipping, so it was difficult for me to decide as to what would be the perfect ball for me to go after, the legside boundary was long for me, the KXIP batsmen also struggled when they were batting. For me, it was a task to take the game to the end, it was just not about hitting the ball."

Kishan has been with the Mumbai Indians' camp for three years now as he was picked by the franchise during the 2018 IPL auction. Talking about his association with the franchise, the left-handed batsman said: "I think we have the belief of never giving up, I have seen many situations where we were stuck and we were thinking we would lose the game but still there was hope in every player that we have to get the game back from this situation. We have done it a lot of times, I see how players are working out every time, how they are putting efforts when we practice, it is something I learn from them."

Mumbai Indians and SunRisers Hyderabad have both played four matches in this year's tournament. Both sides have two wins to their credit and will lock horns against each other on Sunday, October 4 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. MI vs SRH Preview: 7 Things You Need to Know About Dream11 IPL 2020 Match 17.

"I think they have got few good bowlers, I know Sharjah is a small stadium, if we do not get the loose balls, then we have to respect them, it is about selecting the balls which we can hit for boundaries. We knew when we came to Dubai that pitches would assist the bowlers as the tournament goes on, especially the spinners. We prepared really well for these situations, we have done it in the domestic season as well, we have to execute our plans the right way," Kishan said.

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