Ishan Kishan’s blistering 69 off 34 balls for Mumbai Indians (MI) against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has reignited his hopes of a T20 World Cup berth. Prior to this match, Kishan had struggled with just 92 runs in four innings, but his explosive knock has boosted his confidence.
However, a fan’s question to former SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) head coach Tom Moody raised an intriguing auction-related query. The fan asked if Moody regretted not bidding more than 15 crore for Kishan during the IPL 2022 mega auction.
MI had released Kishan ahead of the auction, but they reacquired him for a staggering Rs 15.25 crore. SRH engaged in a bidding war with MI, but they withdrew once the price exceeded Rs 15 crore.
Moody’s response to the fan’s question was humorous: “Gentleman, I wasn’t holding the paddle.”
Kishan’s performance in this IPL season is crucial for his World Cup aspirations. He was recently dropped from the BCCI’s central contract due to his reluctance to play in the Ranji Trophy. This followed his withdrawal from the South Africa Tests last year, citing fatigue.
The 25-year-old has not been considered for any subsequent national assignments, and India head coach Rahul Dravid has advised him to play domestic cricket to earn a recall.
Regarding his World Cup chances, Kishan said, “It is not in my hands and I am taking things very easy right now. You have to take one match at a time. One needs to understand that a lot is not in the hands of the players.”
Kishan’s resurgence in the IPL has put him back in contention for the World Cup squad. His ability to score quickly and consistently makes him a valuable asset to any team.
