I had told everyone in dressing room, I will hit first ball for six: Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan had a day to remember when he just became only the second player from India to score fifty on his T20I and ODI debut. But even before the ball was bowled, the southpaw had promised to his mates of hitting the six off the very first ball he faced in his debut ODI game.

Promoted up the order at number three against Sri Lanka in the first ODI, Kishan delivered on what he had promised to his teammates as he made good use of his feet and deposited the delivery from Dhananjaya de Silva over the ropes with utter disdain. Kishan got off to a dream start and went on to score 59 runs off just 42 balls. Talk of nerves, there was none for the pocket-sized dynamite.

With this outrageous knock, the southpaw became just the 16th Indian to score an ODI half-century on debut and made his birthday even more special. In a run-chase of 263, Prithvi Shaw got India off to a flier by scoring 43 off just 24 balls. Kishan who walked in at number three just continued with that momentum and took the game away from the Lankans in no time.

Ishan Kishan opens up on his first ball six   

Often the 23-year-old is widely spoken about his six-hitting ability and the way he takes the opposition on with nonchalant ease. Now with an opportunity presented in the ODI format, Kishan capitalized on it, albeit with keeping his promise intact.

“I had already told everyone in the dressing room that I would hit a six on the first ball. Wherever the ball is, I’ll hit a six. Everyone knew this. Because the odds were on my side, pitch good, My Birthday & My First ODI match,” Kishan was quoted as saying to Sony.