Ishan Kishan was bought by the Mumbai Indians for a whopping Rs 15.25 crore. At 23, he was the costliest buy in the IPL 2022 mega-auction. However, he still has to justify the big price tag with the bat. 

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Kishan has scored 321 runs in 11 games this season. He averages 32.10. However, the real problem is the explosive opener’s strike rate, which is 117.15. The Mumbai Indians player’s three half-centuries have come slower than he has delivered in the past. 

Ishan Kishan’s strike rate last year was 133.88 and 145.76 in 2020. 

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Talking about the way he is dealing with the pressure of the price tage, Kishan said that he does not think about it. The 23-year-old further revealed that his MI captain Rohit Sharma and former India skipper Virat Kohli asked him not to lose sleep over something which is not under his control.

“Price tag pressure will remain for a few days but then one feels the pressure then it’s always good to speak to the seniors and share your worries. So many seniors like Rohit (Sharma), Virat bhai (Virat Kohli) and Hardik bhai (Pandya) said I should not think about the price tag, because this is not something I have asked for. If someone has believed (in me), they have done it (bid that amount),” Ishan Kishan said ahead of MI’s match against Chennai Super Kings.

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The batter added that he is concentrating on improving his game. 

“Instead of thinking about price-tag, it is important how I think about improving my game and be in that zone. It helped that I spoke to the seniors as they all have been through that phase and could relate with what I was feeling. Now I feel light and price-tag is secondary now. It’s immaterial if you are sold for a base price of Rs 1 crore or for a premium bid of Rs 15.25 core. What is important is to help your team win and also help others in achieving that goal.”

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“The captain and the coach asked me to play my (natural) game. Everyone has roles in the team and for me it was giving good starts and if I am set, then I have to try not to get out in 30s and 40s and convert them into big scores,” Kishan said. 

Mumbai Indians have been eliminated from IPL 2022. The team will play Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals in their remaining games.