Ishan Kishan probably came of age in one-day internationals on Saturday, September 2 against Pakistan in Team India's Asia Cup 2023 opener as he slammed his 7th half-century in the format. This was the first time that Kishan was playing lower than No. 4 in ODIs and what a situation to be in when the team was 48/3 inside 10 overs after having chosen to bat first. Kishan didn't curb his natural game and kept milking boundaries when he got the opportunity.
Shubman Gill didn't spend much time with Kishan before the latter found an able partner in Hardik Pandya, who too played the situation rather than going conservative. The duo stitched a record 138-run partnership and Kishan proved all the naysayers wrong about his credentials in the middle-order having never batted at No. 5. From the situation where India were in, it was a monumental effort for India to reach 266 and Ishan Kishan's 82 was a major reason for it.
Kishan, who slammed nine fours and a couple of sixes, went past MS Dhoni's record of highest score by an Indian wicketkeeper against Pakistan in the Asia Cup when the former skipper scored 76* in the 2008 edition. Kishan also played the fourth highest knock by a designated wicketkeeper in India-Pakistan ODIs.
Highest scores by Indian wicketkeepers against Pakistan in Asia Cup
77* - Ishan Kishan, 2023
76 - MS Dhoni, 2008
56 - SC Khanna, 1984
56 - MS Dhoni, 2010
Highest individual scores by designated wicketkeepers in IND vs PAK ODIs
148 - MS Dhoni, Visakhapatnam, 2005
113* - MS Dhoni, Chennai, 2012
99 - Rahul Dravid, Karachi, 2004
82 - Ishan Kishan, Pallekele, 2023
77* - MS Dhoni, Karachi, 2006
While Kishan scored 82, Hardik Pandya contributed 87 as the Men in Blue posted a healthy total recovering from where they were. However, the rain has interrupted the proceedings since then and the match will be reduced for Pakistan.
