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IND vs PAK T20 World Cup: India's match hero Ishan Kishan attributed his match-winning performance against traditional foe Pakistan in the T20 World Cup to his improved play on the off-side.
Kishan's 77 off 40 balls on a difficult pitch proved pivotal, fueling India's 61-run win over Pakistan. He batted with remarkable ease.
The wicket-keeper batter, who has been in top form since his India comeback, was delighted with his performance in the 'special' match against Pakistan.
"I think the wicket wasn't that easy in the beginning. You just have to believe and focus on your strength. Wanted to make them run as much as possible to my side. I worked a lot on my off-side play," Kishan said after the match.
"I was just trying to keep it simple. I had that in mind that we need to put 160-170 runs and it will be a good total for us. India versus Pakistan is always a special game not only for us but for our country as well," he added.
"Winning this game against Pakistan will give us a lot of confidence and we will look to keep the momentum going," said Kishan.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav lauded Kishan's exceptional batting on a challenging pitch, calling India's 175 for seven a strong total.
"I think this (win) is for India. We played the same brand of cricket what we wanted to play. Batting first was better option on this wicket. Ishan thought something out of the box," the India captain said after the match.
"After 0/1, someone had to take responsibility and the way he took it was amazing. We felt it (the total) was 15 above par. 155 could've been a tight game. It was great to see everyone contributing with the ball. We'll go back, have a good time together as a team and then think about the other games when we take the flight to Ahmedabad," said Suryakumar.