India skipper Rohit Sharma praised Ishan Kishan for leading the team’s win in the 1st T20I against Sri Lanka in Lucknow on Thursday. The Men in Blue defeated Dasun Shanaka and company by 62 runs and now lead the three-match series 1-0. 

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Sharma, speaking at the post-match ceremony, said that he was impressed with the way Kishan constructed his innings after the powerplay. The two play together for the Mumbai Indians. 

Ishan Kishan played a blistering 89-run knock with the help of 10 boundaries and three maximums. 

“I know Ishan for a long time now. We play for the same franchise (Mumbai Indians) in IPL. I know the mindset and ability Ishan has. It was about getting the rhythm back and it was very very pleasing to watch him bat today,” Rohit Sharma said. 

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The skipper further seemed pleased by the way the 23-year-old was trying to find the gaps. 

“He constructed the innings very well after six overs, which is usually a challenge for him because we know he likes to play his shots. It was not about coming and hitting the ball, it was also about finding the gaps,” Sharma added. 

Ravindra Jadeja, after a two-month break with an injury, was back into the side. He picked one wicket. 

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“Very happy with Jadeja’s return. We want more from him, that’s why we sent him up the order and you would see more of that in the upcoming games. He is in good form, especially Test cricket, and we want to use that in limited overs. We will see if we can promote him up the order going forward,” the Indian skipper said. 

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Sharma also addressed the poor fielding by team India. 

“It is consistently happening. We are dropping easy catches which is not expected at this level. Our fielding coach has some work to do. We want to improve on this and come Australia, we want to be a great fielding side.”

India will next play Sri Lanka on Saturday at Dharamsala.