IPL 2025 is Ishan Kishan's biggest opportunity yet: Aakash Chopra
What's the story
Former cricketer Aakash Chopra calls the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 a huge opportunity for Ishan Kishan.
The star batter was released by Mumbai Indians and then was snapped up by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for the upcoming season.
Chopra stressed on his YouTube channel that despite Kishan's recent disappearance from the radar, his skills are undeniable.
"The biggest opportunity is for Ishan Kishan. It seems like no one is talking about him or understanding his importance," he stated.
Here's more.
Recognition
Kishan's potential highlighted by Chopra
Chopra also noted that Kishan's double-century in ODIs he scored Bangladesh shouldn't be missed.
He said, "How many people have scored a double century in ODIs, and this guy has done that? This guy can hit sixes and change gears."
The appreciation comes as Kishan gears up to join SRH for IPL 2025.
Although he is known for his middle-order batting prowess, it remains to be seen how he fits into the team's plans under Pat Cummins's captaincy.
Team dynamics
Kishan's future with SRH
Sunrisers Hyderabad already have established openers in Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who did well last season.
Yet, the franchise chose to buy Kishan for ₹11.25 crore during the IPL mega auction in November.
The move shows their confidence in his abilities and potential contribution to the team.
It'll be interesting to see how SRH fit him into their lineup for IPL 2025 while balancing established players and newcomers like Kishan.
Numbers
Kishan's 2024 IPL and overall numbers
Playing for the Mumbai Indians in 2024, Kishan featured in 14 matches.
In these matches, he managed 320 runs at 22.86 with a strike rate of 148.84. He smashed a fifty and had a high score of 69.
Overall, he has racked up 2,644 runs in 105 IPL matches at 28.43, including a strike rate of 135.87. The batter also boasts 16 fifties and a high score of 99.
Domestic cricket
Kishan did a reasonable job in 2024-25 domestic cricket season
The wicketkeeper batter shone during the 2024-25 domestic season, playing in all three tournaments.
He represented Jharkhand in these tournaments.
In the Ranji Trophy, he managed 176 runs in six innings at an average of 29.33, including a 101-run knock against Railways.
Meanwhile, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he smashed 316 runs in seven innings at 45.14 (one hundred).
In the Syed Musthaq Ali Trophy, he amassed 161 runs in six innings at 32.20 (one fifty).