With his trademark wit and a penchant for humour, Indian captain Rohit Sharma left the press in splits during the press conference held ahead of the second test against West Indies.
As Ishan Kishan celebrated his 25th birthday on Tuesday, July 18, a reporter asked Rohit Sharma about the birthday gift he would present to the young cricketer.
Responding with a touch of humor, the Indian skipper turned towards the wicket-keeper battle and said that Ishan Kishan should be the one to present a gift by scoring a century, leaving everyone in splits.
Here’s what Rohit Sharma said:
“Kya birthday gift chahiye bhai tereko? Sab toh hai bhai. Team ko puchna padega. [What do you want brother? You have everything. Will have to ask the team. We should ask the team about this. It should be the team’s contribution].”
“Birthday gift tu hum logo ko dey bhai 100 run karke [You should give us a birthday gift by scoring 100 runs].”
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Ishan Kishan Is A Very Talented Guy: Rohit Sharma
Rohit further heaped praise on Kishan’s wicket keeping skills during his Test debut. Despite the challenging conditions of the pitch, where the ball was turning, bouncing, and occasionally keeping low, Kishan performed exceptionally well.
While Kishan’s personal score was only one run in the opening Test due to the declaration, Rohit remained optimistic about his determination and anticipated a stronger performance from him in the upcoming matches.
“Ishan is a very talented guy. He has scored double-century in limited-overs cricket. We have to give him more chances to showcase his talent. He likes to bat aggressively. I have had a clear discussion with him and given him full freedom and he needs that,” Rohit said.
“I would like to point out his wicketkeeping. He kept really well considering he was playing his first Test on a pitch where the ball was turning and bouncing, some were keeping low. Unfortunate he scored only one because we had to declare. I am sure when he gets to bat more, he will be ready and raring to go.”
India clinched a resounding victory by an innings and 141 runs over West Indies in the first test, securing a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. With their sights set on a clean sweep, the Indian team will face off against West Indies in the second Test of the ongoing series on July 20th at Trinidad’s Port of Spain.
