IPL 2018 was nothing short of a disaster for Mumbai Indians as they even failed to qualify for the playoffs of the tournament. The three-time champions just failed to produce consistent performances and didn’t live up to the expectations of the fans. But there were a few bright spots for the team this year, and one of them was keeper-batsman Ishan Kishan.

IPL 2018 was nothing short of a disaster for Mumbai Indians as they even failed to qualify for the playoffs of the tournament. The three-time champions just failed to produce consistent performances and didn’t live up to the expectations of the fans. But there were a few bright spots for the team this year, and one of them was keeper-batsman Ishan Kishan.

The southpaw batsman scored a modest 275 runs in 14 games and hit two fifties, which gave enough glimpse of the talent he possesses. This year’s stint has done his confidence a world of good and he is confident of representing India in the future, despite being snubbed for India A’s upcoming tour of England.

“It does hurt because I thought I would be in the India A side. I had quite a few runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy and IPL. But it’s okay if the selectors didn’t feel that way. I can’t help that. But I can obviously focus on my performances and try and improve on my game,” Kishan told reporters.

“I know I will represent the Indian cricket team one day. I’m 100% sure about that.”

The 19-year-old was in great form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and smashed 313 runs from Jharkhand at an average of 78.25. In the IPL too, he could have had better returns had his batting position not been tinkered with.

“I think it’s tough when you are prepared to come one-down but eventually come in to bat at No 5 but still have to do things according to your team’s requirement.

“You have to be prepared for every situation when you’re playing the IPL and you can’t complain later that you weren’t batting in your position.”

On Mumbai crashing out in the league stages, he said, “I think there were a few errors that we (Mumbai Indians) made this season like a few miscommunications here and there but I think we still learnt a lot from each other,” he added.

“The top order was good with Surya and Lewis giving starts but lower down the order, in a couple of matches, it was not working well. But at the end of the day, we played well.”

Kishan also pointed out how speaking to legends like MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma helped him improve his game. “I spoke to seniors like Rohit Sharma who told me not to worry and learn as much as possible from this season so that I know how to improve next year,” he said.

“I spoke to Mahi (MS Dhoni) bhai regarding both my batting and wicket-keeping skills. What had been happening is that once I would perform, I would often get a bit relaxed. He asked me to stay mentally tough and not get relaxed after a good game and continue with the same intensity.”