‘I wanted to open’: Ishan Kishan’s fearless fifty dents Sanju Samson’s T20 World Cup hopes as India’s pecking order takes shape

NEW DELHI: In-form Ishan Kishan sent a strong message ahead of the T20 World Cup, smashing a breathtaking half-century and openly declaring his desire to open the innings for India as the defending champions defeated South Africa by 30 runs in their only warm-up match at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.

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Kishan’s explosive 20-ball 53 — studded with seven towering sixes and two fours — powered India to a daunting 241 for five on a batting-friendly surface. The left-hander’s aggressive intent at the top, alongside Abhishek Sharma, provided the early momentum that set the tone for the match and potentially reshaped India’s batting order heading into the global tournament.




After the game, Kishan did not shy away from addressing the opening debate, admitting his excitement about the role. “I was really excited for Wednesday. I wanted to open the innings,” he said, underlining his growing confidence after a run of strong performances leading into the World Cup.

While he made his intentions clear, Kishan stressed that team balance remains his priority. “Batting at number three, I enjoyed that situation, but with the World Cup coming up, no matter what position I bat in, my focus is always on doing my best for the team. I think it’s about staying in the present, watching the ball and playing the shots that are required at that point in time. I’m not putting too much thought or effort into it,” he explained.


His approach reflected in the fearless way he batted, launching into South Africa’s attack from the outset. “I’m just reacting, watching the ball, and playing accordingly, and that seems to be working well for me. Some days you feel really good, some days you don’t. On this particular day, I also have to give credit to the pitch, it was tremendous to bat on, even in the second innings. I trusted the wicket and the bounce,” Kishan added.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav had already hinted at a new direction at the toss, confirming Kishan and Abhishek as the opening pair — a move that appeared to push Sanju Samson further down the pecking order. “Definitely Ishan and Abhishek,” Suryakumar said, signalling the team management’s thinking as India experimented ahead of the marquee event at home.

Kishan’s mindset, he revealed, has been shaped by the urgency of a World Cup year. “With the World Cup so close, it’s important to be in the mindset that if the ball is there, even if there’s a fielder, you back yourself and go for it,” he said, reflecting the attacking philosophy India want from their top order.

Beyond his own performance, Kishan also highlighted the importance of Tilak Varma’s return from injury, describing him as a key multi-dimensional asset. “He’s very important for us. He’s not just a batsman anymore, he gives us a few overs, especially when two left-handers are batting. He’s a very good fielder, and the way he’s batting these days, you need someone at number three who can rotate the strike and keep things moving,” he said.

India’s bowlers, meanwhile, used nine different options to restrict South Africa to 210 for seven, with Abhishek Sharma contributing two wickets. Kishan felt the bowling unit delivered under challenging conditions but admitted improvements were still needed. “There’s always room for improvement. We’ll talk about areas we can bowl to batters and how we can plan better. But on this wicket, I think we did a pretty good job… Overall, it was a solid bowling effort, though we’ll sit down and discuss how we can improve further,” he said.


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