Ishan Kishan breaks silence on mental pressure during IND vs NZ 2nd T20I match, 'I backed myself'
Ishan Kishan opens up on handling mental pressure during IND vs NZ 2nd T20I, revealing how self-belief helped him stay composed at the crease.
Last Updated: 04.55 PM, Jan 24, 2026
Ishan Kishan's comeback in the Indian team wasn't ordinary. It took almost two years and two months of hard work, mental pressure, consistent performance in domestic cricket, and winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 as a captain to script a comeback into the national side again. Kishan, one of the best batters in the team, slammed the fastest half-century against New Zealand in just 21 balls.
He was praised by cricket fans and experts for an entertaining innings in the 2nd T20I vs New Zealand. But after the game, Kishan opened up about how his time went and how he felt before and during the match. He also shed light on how important it was to stick around and score runs as the target was huge.
"Nothing, I had normal food. I was focusing more on what I need to do and be in a good headspace for this game. Sometimes, you are batting well and you just have to be in a good headspace. You just try to look to watch the ball and play good shots. We were looking to not take any risks, not go cross-batted. When you are chasing 200-plus, you need runs in the powerplay as well," said Ishan Kishan after the match.
"Depends on how you are batting. I felt good in the middle. I backed myself and had a feeling that if I connect with good shots, I will make it happen for the team," added Kishan.
India beat New Zealand by seven wickets
In the second T20I match between India and New Zealand, the crowd witnessed more than 400 runs being scoring in two innings thanks to the batters' performances. New Zealand put up 208 runs on the board, giving a mammoth target to India. In return, the home team managed to chase down the target in just 15.2 overs, thanks to Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav's half-century.
It wasn't a great day for the bowlers as they failed to stood like spectators and watchedthe balls sail towards the boundary most of the time. The pitch supported the batters along with the dew factor that came into play in the evening. Overall, it was a great day for the batters as they managed to score runs and entertain the crowd. India now lead the series. 2-0.
Where to watch IND vs NZ matches?
Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs New Zealand matches from January 11 online on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.