Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper batter Ishan Kishan has said that the side would 'make it right' in the next season of the Indian Premier League.
"Ups and downs are very much a part of this game. Yes, we will lose matches, there will be matches where we would not perform, but what matters is how we keep the process right throughout the season. We want to win matches, we are giving our best, but unfortunately, we lost many close matches this season. This happens, and I think we will make it right next season," said Kishan during a pre-match conference before their game against Chennai Super Kings.
Mumbai Indians have had a terrible season this time around. The five-time champions has looked nowhere as dominating as their other successful seasons, winning only two games out of eleven and sitting at the bottom of the points tally.
The wicketkeeper-batter admitted that he lost focus while trying to finish the game well for his side instead of giving them a good start.
"What worked well for me was, initially when I started the tournament, I was not over-thinking, I was just going and batting, like I used to do," Kishan said ahead of Mumbai's next match, against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede. "My focus was on giving a good start to the team. But I think later on, somewhere I was trying to finish the game... maybe I lost my focus in the first six overs," he said.
"I had a chat with the coach and captain also, and they just said, 'If you can give us a good start, it will be helpful for the team, so you do not have to think about finishing the game. If you are set there in the middle, you will anyway do that," he added.
Kishan said that now his focus is to give his side good starts and not lose his wickets easily and be there to finish the game if he is settled on the crease.
The wicketkeeper-batter has had a decent IPL so far, with 321 runs in eleven innings at an average of 32.10 and three half-centuries. 81* has been his best personal score so far. His strike rate has been sub-par for his standards at 117.15.
The batter said that senior players like Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma tell him not to think much about the 'price-tag pressure' and taking their advice, he does not even think about it and hence feels 'very light'.
"It is secondary. Whether you have been sold for 1 crore, base price or 15 crores - what matters is how you make the team win. Or if you are not in form, how you are helping others bring out their best," he added.
Kishan has always kept the dressing room atmosphere cheerful for his side regardless of their on-field performances.
"I feel like the happier faces I see, the better the team atmosphere. As a team member, I would not want to see anyone down. Even if I have performed, I do not focus on myself at that time, I try to see how I can lift the other person up. Laughter and jokes keep happening. When I am not in form, the other players are there to make my mood lighter. Helping each other is what makes a team special, that we are not thinking only of ourselves but concerned for the whole team. I am cheerful by nature, so I try to ensure that everyone around me is also cheerful," he said.
The batter said that while keeping wickets for MI, he tries to help the captain with the angles and the field.
"I am actually enjoying it right now, how I can help the bowlers too. As a keeper I know, keepers pick batters better: which batsman is thinking what, where he is trying to hit. Those discussions keep happening with the bowlers. It helps the bowlers and the captain, because the captain is already under pressure as to which bowler he needs to bring on, who will work best from which end. So a lot of things depend on the keeper and whether he can make the job of the captain easier. So far, I am really enjoying my role right now," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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