Ishan Kishan, who scored a century, shared a funny story about a phone call he made to Abhishek Sharma after Sunrisers Hyderabad bought him in the IPL mega-auction. Kishan said that as soon as SRH got him for ₹11.25 crore, he called Abhishek and jokingly asked if he now had to hit a big shot on every ball.
After SRH‘s 44-run win over RR, Kishan highlighted the clarity in his role under captain Pat Cummins and reflected on his 2024 struggles after being dropped from Team India. He also shared Abhishek Sharma’s playful advice to adopt an ultra-aggressive batting approach in the IPL.
“I straightaway called up Abhishek. I asked him, ‘Do I have to hit every single ball?’ He was like, ‘On point, that is your job. You hit every ball and enjoy in this team.’ I could actually see that when I came here. When I got here, the message was very clear, ‘If the ball is there, go for it.’ That’s how I think we are going to play the tournament,” Ishan Kishan revealed.
On Sunday, Ishan Kishan played a crucial role in SRH’s innings, smashing an unbeaten 106 off just 47 deliveries. He remained at the crease till the end and marked his century with a flying kiss celebration. When asked about the gesture, Kishan revealed that it was dedicated to his family members who were present in the stadium.
“The flying kiss was for the loved ones who were watching the game from the stands, who had supported me in the tough times last year,” Kishan said.
Flying start all right 💥🧡 pic.twitter.com/szX3KadJTh
— Ishan Kishan (@ishankishan51) March 23, 2025
“Focused Only on Hard Work”- Ishan Kishan Opens Up on Tough Phase After India Snub
The left-handed batter was omitted from the Indian squad and later excluded from the BCCI central contracts due to alleged disciplinary issues. Reflecting on his challenging phase, Kishan stated that over the past 12 months, he remained focused solely on his hard work.
“I was never thinking about the bad moments. I was focused on what I needed to do. And I got rid of the negatives. I thought the IPL is coming, I need to face some good bowlers, I was just doing my hard work,” Kishan said.
Kishan dedicated himself to regaining his form through intense training. According to PTI sources, he skipped Mumbai Indians’ training facilities and instead set up his own academy in Patna, where he trained twice a day.
“He trained in two sessions every day. The morning session focused on cricket skills at his academy, lasting 2-3 hours and being very intense. In the evening, he would either do gym workouts or speed training for 1-2 hours,” a source, who has been a primary witness to Kishan’s hard work, said.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s upcoming game is set for Thursday, March 27, 2025, against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
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