“Ishan Kishan’s batting made Virat Kohli look pale in front of him” – Aakash Chopra hails IPL’s contribution to Indian cricket


“Ishan Kishan’s batting made Virat Kohli look pale in front of him” – Aakash Chopra hails IPL’s contribution to Indian cricket

Aakash Chopra, Ishan Kishan and Virat Kohli

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has credited the Indian Premier League (IPL) as one of the top reasons for the depth in Indian cricket. He cited the example of the recent India vs England T20I match where debutant Ishan Kishan overshadowed skipper Virat Kohli at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

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Kishan, who opened the batting for the first time in national colours, played an outstanding knock of 56 runs off just 32 deliveries in the second match of the series. Kohli also played a dashing inning of 73* runs from 49 balls to take India home. Kishan looked like the more dominant player during the run-chase and hence, he was prized with the ‘Man of the Match’ award.

During a recent video uploaded on his Youtube channel, Aakash Chopra highlighted the importance of IPL for the national side. He said:

“The IPL has allowed first-class cricketers to play in front of packed houses. My debut Test was the first game I played in front of a crowd. Ishan Kishan has played so much IPL, that when he got a chance for India, his batting made Virat Kohli look pale in front of him.

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Nitish Rana has not yet made his debut but there is no pressure, he consistently goes in front of the crowd and does not feel any pressure. You can see anyone – Suryakumar Yadav who scooped his first ball for a six in international cricket. Devdutt Padikkal – the same story.”

“IPL is a terrific vehicle to make you capable of playing for India”

The cricketer-turned-commentator further reckoned that this franchise tournament has given youngsters an opportunity to play with and against some of the top players in the world.

“This storm has catapulted India’s journey to the No.1 cricketing nation in the world. The IPL has empowered you, it has encouraged you to dream, it has allowed so many domestic cricketers to rub shoulders with the best in the world.

“You get to know how to handle pressure and expectations, and you are forced to improve the quality of your cricket. So I think the IPL has been absolutely phenomenal. It is a terrific vehicle to make you capable of playing for India,” he signed off.

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