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3 min readApr 13, 2026 08:43 PM IST
Ishan Kishan of Sunrisers Hyderabad play a shots during Match 21 of the TATA Indian Premier League 2026 between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, India, on April 13, 2026. (CREIMAS)
Ever since he returned to the Indian setup in January this year, Ishan Kishan has quietly developed into one of the most impactful counterattacking openers in modern T20 cricket. Over the past three to four months, the southpaw has shown an ability to transfer the pressure back on the opposition as soon as he has walked to the middle at the fall of an early wicket in the powerplay.
Thursday was another instance when Sunrisers Hyderabad lost Abhishek Sharma off the first ball against Rajasthan Royals.
The standout feature is how Kishan times his aggression. He does not allow bowlers to breathe or for conditions to settle. Instead, he walks into high-pressure situations and turns the script around within a matter of deliveries.
Against RR on Monday, the southpaw gave another glimpse of that ability. Walking in at 0/1, there was no time taken to rebuild cautiously or soak in the pressure. Instead, he took on the bowling straight away, clearing the boundaries with a sense of freedom. The key to his success lies in his clarity of intent. There is no visible hesitation when he walks in early and he immediately looks to access his scoring zones.
His strong leg-side game, coupled with an ability to use the cover boundary, makes him a hard batsman to bowl at in the early overs with the field restrictions in place.
It meant that RR could not build on the early opening that they had created for themselves.
Monday was not an isolated instance where Kishan has showcased an ability to counterattack at the falling of an early wicket. The left-hander set the tone for the innings regularly during the five-match T20 series against New Zealand earlier this year.
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He also produced the goods in more important matches, including in the T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan, where his sparkling 77 off 40 balls rescued India from 1-1 and proved to be the difference between the two sides on a sticky wicket in Colombo.
Of course, this approach may not come off on all days. There will be the odd innings where he may fall early while taking the high-risk approach. But in the modern T20 landscape, the balance between risk and reward is increasingly shifting towards players, who can change the momentum quickly, and Kishan fits that mould perfectly.
His recent form is not just about runs – it is about impact. And when he walks in early, the game rarely stays in the same place for long.
Based in Mumbai, Shankar Narayan has over five years of experience and his reporting has ranged from the Ranji Trophy to ICC World Cups, and he writes extensively on women’s cricket. ... Read More
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