Captaincy brings calmer mindset, situational awareness: Ishan Kishan

East Zone captain Ishan Kishan reflects on how leadership has improved his situational awareness and mindset after his spectacular 270 in the Duleep Trophy final. He also spoke about his return to domestic cricket and his renewed hunger.

East Zone captain Ishan Kishan said leadership has helped him develop greater situational awareness and a calmer mindset, as he reflected on the responsibilities that come with leading a team after his magnificent 270 in the Duleep Trophy final against South Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Kishan smashed 270 off 334 balls to help East Zone post 708 in their first innings against South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final. Speaking after his marathon knock, Kishan said a captain needs to remain alert throughout the day and understand the needs of his teammates.

Kishan on Captaincy and Personal Growth

"When you are the captain of the team, the first thing you develop is situational awareness. You have to stay alert the entire day on the field to understand what is happening and what isn't. You have to take care of all your teammates," Kishan said, as quoted by Cricinfo.

The left-handed batter said captaincy also makes it a responsibility for a player to help teammates improve, adding that leadership involves paying attention to small details that can often be overlooked. "There are so many small things we often coverlook in our daily routines -- you don't look at your players or try to help them figure out how they can get better. But when you are the captain, it becomes your duty to help them," he added.

Kishan said taking responsibility at this stage of his career has contributed significantly to his personal growth and changed his approach towards challenges. "You will have to take responsibility. If you don't take it now, when will you? It's not like I am 22 years old and have just broken into the team. Going through this whole process leads to immense personal growth, and while you might not realise it immediately, your mindset shifts completely, and you become much calmer about things," the East Zone skipper said, as quoted by Cricinfo.

On Returning to Domestic Cricket

In February 2024, Kishan had lost his India central contract for not prioritising domestic cricket, but he has participated in various tournaments since, which has rekindled his hunger for red-ball cricket especially. "I actually really enjoyed it. I went back, had to grind and work hard for about two years. But sometimes, what happens is... when we play regularly for the Indian team, you just keep playing in a flow. Yes, you might be a very good player, which is why you're playing for India, but your growth stagnates at a certain point. So when you take one step back and go back to domestic cricket, you start from zero again. To get back into the [national] team, your only option is to perform much better than them. Nothing against anyone, but I'm saying you'll only benefit if you do better," Kishan said, as quoted by Cricinfo.

East Zone Dominates Duleep Trophy Final

Kishan's spectacular 270 and Kumar Kushagra's maiden Duleep Trophy century helped East Zone post a mammoth 708 all out on Day 2 of the final against South Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Kishan shared a 230-run fifth-wicket partnership with Kushagra, who scored 101, while also crossing 4,000 first-class runs.

Despite late wickets, East Zone maintained their dominance and put South Zone under significant pressure ahead of their first-innings reply. (ANI)

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