“We have already done the…” - Ishan Kishan opens up on facing Usman Tariq

Indian opening batter Ishan Kishan has opened up on facing Pakistan off-spinner Usman Tariq, who hogged the spotlight with his controversial side-arm bowling and ‘pause-and-deliver’ action in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign.

Notably, Usman Tariq is coming into this encounter on the back of an exceptional three-wicket haul against the United States of America in their second group stage encounter on Tuesday, February 10, in Colombo.

Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Ishan Kishan, who scored an exceptional 61-run knock off 24 balls with six fours and five sixes against Namibia, stated that it’s all about watching the ball and playing the natural game in this particular format.

"No, I think we have already done the preparation part, and now it is just time to watch the ball and play our natural game (on preparing to play Tariq). So if the ball is there, as a batter, we just feel like going in because it's a T20 game. And we are trying to set a good total on board. But we do have to believe in our strength as well. There's nothing like you have to prepare. I think at this level, we just watch a few videos, and we get an idea of what kind of bowling is going to happen. So we are just keeping it simple. I think there was quite a bit of learning for us for our team as well today," Ishan Kishan said at the post-match presentation.

Delving into the details of the India vs Namibia game, the hosts batted first and posted a whopping total of 209/9 in 20 overs despite Gerhard Erasmus' four-wicket haul. In response, Namibia got bundled out for 116 runs in 18.2 overs, losing the game by 93 runs. Varun Chakravarthy scalped a three-wicket haul.

India will next lock horns with Pakistan in their third group stage game on Sunday, February 15, in Colombo.

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