Uttam Mazumdar, Ishan Kishan’s childhood coach, has said the keeper-batter’s 82 (81) in the washed-out Asia Cup 2023 match against arch-rivals Pakistan on Saturday was better than his record-breaking 210 against Bangladesh in Chattogram at the end of 2022 as well. However, Kishan, playing for the first time at number five in ODIs, came to bat when India were reduced to 48/3. He absorbed the pressure of Naseem Shah’s seam movement and Haris Rauf’s extra pace before started playing freely and helped his side to lift the score to 204/5 before getting out.

“This is Ishan’s one of the best innings,” Mazumdar told Sportskeeda in an exclusive chat. “It’ll go ahead of the world-record 200 because this was against Pakistan, one of the best pace attacks in the world… also the pressure situation and [the fact that] he hadn’t played at number five position. He has always played as an opener but he got the chance and proved himself before the World Cup in such a crucial match against Pakistan… I am a little bit disappointed that he didn’t get his 100 but I am so optimistic by the maturity he showed.”

“I told him, ‘Wherever you bat, you have to show your character and temperament should be there. If you are getting a chance for India, if you are opening or playing in the middle-order, you have to show character and make good runs.’ He proved himself,” Mazumdar again stated.

Although Ishan Kishan made it look easy, the lowest he had batted so far in ODIs was number four as well, where in six innings he scored just 106 runs at 21.20. However, he had batted top of the order in all three recent ODIs against West Indies too as well.

“There’s a lot of difference. While opening the ball comes so nicely and you can play freely because he’s a natural in playing shots. But once he comes in the middle order, then he has to restrict a lot of shots. He has to score runs as well as keep his wicket intact. That requires a completely different mentality,” he again stated.