Wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan has become the 12th Indian cricketer to score four consecutive ODI half-centuries. In what is the 22nd such instance, Kishan entered an elite list 29 months after former captain Virat Kohli had registered the 21st occurrence against England in Pune.
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Kishan, meanwhile, managed to achieve the feat in the ongoing third match of Asia Cup 2023 against Pakistan in Pallekele. Batting at No. 5 for the first time, it was also the first-ever case of the left-handed batter batting anywhere below No. 4 in this format.
Also facing arch-rivals Pakistan for the first time, Kishan provided a shot in the arm to cementing his ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 spot in the Indian squad. Kishan, who often bats like a bat out of hell in the shortest format, batted with equanimity at a time when the team had lost three wickets in the first powerplay.
Having hardly played a rash shot until his dismissal, Kishan reigned supreme on the back of treating the bowlers on merit. An exemplary blend of attack and defense allowed him to score an impact-generating 82 (81) with the help of nine fours and two sixes.
Ishan Kishan Has Equaled MS Dhoni By Scoring 4th Consecutive ODI Fifty
Ishan Kishan, who bettered his ODI average via a seventh ODI half-century on Saturday, equaled the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Shreyas Iyer to become another Indian cricketer with four consecutive half-centuries to his name.
Much like Dhoni used to do during his playing days, even Kishan represents Jharkhand in the Indian domestic circuit. Apart from the state, the two hard-hitting batters also being professional wicket-keepers is why parallels are drawn between them time after time.
Ishan Kishan Can Equal Virat Kohli And Sachin Tendulkar In Next Match
As mentioned above, Ishan Kishan has already joined the likes of Tendulkar and Kohli by scoring a fourth ODI half-century in a row. That said, he can now join these two greats in the list of Indian batters with five consecutive ODI fifties to their name.
While Tendulkar had scored five back-to-back ODI half-centuries once and four twice, Kohli has already outperformed him because of his three five consecutive 50+ scores and four four consecutive.
Assuming that Kishan will score a minimum of 50 runs whenever he bats next in an ODI, he will also stand adjacent to head coach Dravid, Test vice-captain Rahane and ODI and Test captain Sharma. Much like four, even the last instance of an Indian batter hitting five consecutive ODI half-centuries was put on display by Kohli (during ICC Cricket World Cup 2019).
