“No, I think the best is yet to come,” Ishan Kishan said at the post-match presentation ceremony after Sunrisers Hyderabad’s win over Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Saturday, April 25.
It was a short answer, but it revealed much more than routine post-match check-out.
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This line immediately brought to mind Kobe Bryant and the philosophy that defined him. Bryant’s famous “Mamba Mentality” was never just about confidence or courage. It was about obsessing over improvement. It was about refusing to see success as a finish line. No matter how many points he scored, how many games he won or how many titles he collected, Bryant’s mindset was built around one core belief. There was always something to do.
This is why Kishan’s note stood out.
For Kobe, greatness was not measured by what had already been achieved, but by the constant pursuit of what could still be unlocked. Complacency was dangerous. Comfort was the enemy. Progress mattered more than praise. Kishan’s closing line in Jaipur carried the same idea. After another command change in the winning chase, he was not interested in framing it as a finished performance. He framed it as part of the process.
This is why the comment was so telling. Kishan did not speak like a batsman pleased with a good night. He spoke as someone who believes there is another level to come.
In Jaipur, Kishan again showed how much his game has evolved. The attacking instinct remains intact, but what stands out now is the control around him. He played to the conditions, controlled the pace of the chase and ensured that Sunrisers remained firmly in command without forcing the issue.
CALM ROOTED IN BRIGHTNESS
Kishan said his composure at the crease was down to clarity rather than caution.
“Yeah, I think composure is about composure, the skill set is always there. You’ve got to be in a good headspace. It’s about just watching the ball and not being predetermined about what shots we have to play. So I was just thinking like, let’s just watch the ball. It’s a big ground. I’m going to get some more gaps, maybe big gaps. I think a bigger gap means you always get there when there’s not a big gap. and keep the running speed in the running so it was work and I think it was a pretty good wicket, there wasn’t much to think about, just bat, just bat and just enjoy it,” Kishan said at the post-match presentation.
The shift reflected that approach exactly. Kishan did not try to open the chase by force. He trusted the surface, he trusted the dimensions and his ability to keep the scoreboard moving without taking unnecessary risks.
Kishan also explained that his recent consistency was shaped by how he responded to setbacks earlier in his career.
“When I wasn’t playing and even got cut from the team, my only belief was this: I couldn’t just sit there and wallow in self-pity about the situation. That’s actually the easiest thing for any athlete to do, to complain, ‘I got cut from the team even though I deserved to be there.’ That’s the path of least resistance and it’s something I never thought was the right approach,” Kishan said in a post-match interview on JioHotstar.
“I realized that the only thing that could pave the way for my return was scoring,” he added.
AIM BEHIND THE CAPTAIN
Kishan said stepping down as captain after the return of Pat Cummins allowed him to narrow his focus even further.
“It was quite fun to lead the team for seven matches and when Pat came in he gave us that extra bowling power. So I was very happy when he came into the team anyway because he’s a great captain anyway. So I was just thinking about my batting and wicket more than leading,” Kishan said.
This answer also fell into the same mold. Cut out the noise, cut out the ego, focus on the work. It was the same principle that Bryant built his career on, and the same principle that Kishan now relies on.
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– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
26 Apr 2026 04:01 IST
