In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match on Thursday, the Mumbai Indians thrashed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan looked excellent. In the game’s shortest format, Ishan demonstrated his full potential by scoring 69 runs off of just 34 balls, setting up the Mumbai Indians for a successful 197-run chase. After the game, Ishan spoke with the media about the contentious weeks leading up to the IPL, when his future with the Indian team was in doubt.

Ishan reportedly did not make himself available for international selection in the months that followed his withdrawal from the South Africa series due to mental exhaustion. Despite being urged to play the Ranji Trophy by BCCI secretary Jay Shah and head coach Rahul Dravid, he chose to train for the IPL with MI captain Hardik Pandya.

Ishan revealed the story by saying, “I was practicing. People were chatting a lot when I stepped away from the game. A lot happened on social media. However, you should also be aware that a lot of things are outside of the players’ control.”

During the break, Ishan made a significant mental change. He provided a thorough understanding of his thought process, particularly with regard to how he dealt with his career’s low points.

“Your only option is to make effective use of the time. Additionally, keep in mind that even if they were bowling well, I would never leave a delivery in the first two overs, thanks to the previous Ishan Kishan. Over time, I’ve come to realize that even 20 overs is a significant game; you can go ahead and take your time. We want to be a cohesive team even though we have lost games. Things have changed to the point where, even when I’m not performing and I know that someone else isn’t either,  I talk to them. I want to know what they are thinking. So these are things which helped me in the break,” he further added.