NEW DELHI: Almost to the left watching Vaibhav Suryavanshi going full throttle Ishan Kishan Stunned, the Sunrisers Hyderabad batsmen stood on the field watching the 15-year-old launch towering sixes from the crease to the stands. Suryavanshi scored his second IPL century – a 37-ball 103 – against Pat Cummins-led SRH.Suryavanshi’s knock came at a breathtaking pace, as he smashed the third-fastest century in IPL history, reaching the milestone in just 36 balls and taking Rajasthan Royals to a mammoth 228/6.However, chasing the target of 229 runs, SRH called the final with 9 balls to spare. Ishan led the charge with 74 off 31 balls, while Abhishek Sharma scored 57 off 29 balls, taking SRH to 229/5 in 18.3 overs.It wasn’t just a high-scoring thriller set in Jaipur – it also featured light-hearted but telling exchanges between Ishaan and teenage sensation Suryavanshi.After the match, Ishan revealed that he had a chat with the youngster, who lit up the match with his explosive innings.“I was just telling him about the craziness with which he is batting and the way he is hitting. Sometimes, you get scared to think what the scorecard would look like if he had stayed for a few more overs.“So, it was important for us to get his wicket, it was 228, it could easily have been 258. Cricket is all about comebacks. We got him out and there was a bit of a comeback. That’s what I told him, ‘please go easy on your team when I’m playing against you. I know all your secrets and inside stories’,” quipped Ishan.Ishaan’s comeback storyFor Ishaan, the moment also marked how far he had come. His absence from the Indian team was disappointing, but the left-hander continued to work hard in domestic cricket, patiently waiting for his chance – and missing it when it came.He returned to Team India for the T20I series against the New Zealand national cricket team and the T20 World Cup earlier this year, making a comeback after a brilliant domestic season in which he captained Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title with over 500 runs.Reflecting on this phase, Ishaan said he chose not to dwell on his absence and instead focused on improving his consistency.“When I wasn’t playing and was out of the team, I told myself I can’t cry or be sad about it. This is the easiest task for any player. It might get you sympathy from a few people, you might even feel good about it, but it will get you nowhere,” Ishaan told JioHotstar.“The only thing that could bring me back into the reckoning was runs. So, I just wanted to improve my game and score more runs, even if it meant hitting more sixes than any other batsman.”He added that the phase made him hungry.“Only consistent run scoring can bring you back into the team. If 300 runs in a season is not enough, score 400; if not, score 500. At the end of the day, cricket is our daily bread.“When you’re out of the team, you realize the importance and start respecting every game. You get hungry, and that was my focus: to be the best,” he added.Now batting at No. 3, Ishan showed that maturity with a 31-ball 74 in the same match, leading SRH to a blistering chase.“After playing as a No. 3 batsman for so many years, if you get set, you look to score big and bat till the end. It makes things easier for other batsmen with you, because they don’t feel the pressure.“My only thought is to keep things as simple as possible, stay in a good headspace, and just play one match at a time. If we play good cricket, the rest of the team will learn from it.“At the end of the day, it’s a team game. When you play good cricket, it rubs off on others. I’ve made a lot of mistakes too, so my only aim is not to repeat them, which unfortunately I did in the end in this game,” he added.
