IPL 2022: Will ₹15 crore price tag impact Ishan Kishan's performance?
Mumbai Indians owned Ishan Kishan for a whopping ₹15.25 crore. Meanwhile, Mahela Jayawardene has commented if the price tag can affect his performance.
FollowRecord five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) winner Mumbai Indians (MI) will be desperate to extend its feat to six titles in IPL 2022. Its determinedness was evident during the pre-season mega auction when it went all out for young wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, owning him for ₹15.25 crore. However, fans began to worry if this price tag could affect his performance.
On Wednesday, MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene spoke on the issue during the side's first pre-season press conference in Mumbai. "I think it is something that the player, coach and the franchise need to control. We need to create a suitable environment for everyone to perform. It's nothing to do with Ishan or any other player at what price he was bought at the auction, as it is not in their control," he answered a query by Asianet Newsable.
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"We knew that it would be tough to get some of the players back [during the auction]. But, we wanted to create something unique, which was why the franchise went in all ahead to repurchase Ishan to give that partnership at the top. Rohit [Sharma] and Ishan is a good combination," he added.
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"He [Kishan] is a wicketkeeper-batter, and having someone like him at the top-order is rare, especially in franchise cricket. So, given all that and how he could balance the team, many other factors played a part. So, I don't personally think Ishan will feel that pressure. It's a franchise decision on how we want to set up the team and how we want to look forward to the future," he continued.
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"So, I don't think it is a problem. Even if we have a couple of bad games, I'm sure the players outside the bubble will have some pressure. But, Ishan, being in and around the Mumbai setup for quite some time and how we create that environment, I don't feel it would be an issue for him," he concluded.
