'He is the No. 1 batsman in all three formats': Punjab Kings youngster Ishan Porel targets 'dream wicket' of Virat Kohli
IPL 2021: Originally, Ishan was one of the four net bowlers announced by the BCCI to travel with the Indian team for the long tour of Australia last year, but the stint was unfortunately cut short due to a hamstring injury he sustained.
Given the recent string of young fast bowlers to have debuted for India, Ishan Porel would consider himself a tad unlucky. Originally, Ishan was one of the four net bowlers announced by the BCCI to travel with the Indian team for the long tour of Australia last year, but the stint was unfortunately cut short due to a hamstring injury he sustained. He was sent back home as the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and T Natarajan subsequently went on to make their Test debuts for India.
As it turned out, by the end of the tour, almost everyone from the Indian squad had played on the tour, barring Kartik Tyagi, the only remaining fit net bowler. The pattern continued against England, with Prasidh Krishna earning his ODI cap. Had Ishan been fit, who is to guarantee he wouldn't have joined the list? It could have been easy to fret over the what-could-have-been. But instead, Ishan, having successfully completed his rehab in a surprisingly quick time, hit the ground running in the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophies.
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Ishan picked up 13 wickets from five matches for Bengal in the T20 tournament, but the bigger takeaway was his hamstring, which did not give up. Ishan emerged as the fifth-highest wicket-taker, putting him in real good stead ahead of the IPL, as he gears up at the prospect of representing the rechristened Punjab Kings.
"The hamstring is fine right now and it's holding up pretty well. I'm doing well. I've played the Vijay Hazare, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and I've done well there so I'm pretty confident about my hamstring. My rehab at NCA was pretty well," Ishan tells Hindustan Times in a chat.
"After coming back from Australia, I took a break for a week. I just rested at home and straightaway went to the NCA. Those 20 days helped me a lot to get back my rhythm. I was not expecting the hamstring to recover as quickly as it did but I think that happened because of the short break I took. I'm still following the program chalked out by our trainer."
Surprisingly enough, Ishan did not get a game for the franchise last year. But this time around, that is likely to change. Having seen Natarajan, his fellow net bowler, fast-tracked to becoming all-format India cricketer, Ishan admits it's definitely on his mind, but the youngster is willing to play the waiting game and go through the 'process'.
"It's a process you need to go through. You need to do well in domestic as well as the IPL. Whenever you're playing, make the opportunities count. My only plan is to focus on this present IPL. Like I said, I am looking forward to taking up any challenge. Hopefully, things will fall in place if I do well. Anyone would want to represent the country, so performing at the right stage at the right time," Ishan explains.
Last year, barring Mohammed Shami, the Kings lacked a genuine fast bowler, especially in the death overs. The team's inability to close out matches is where it all went wrong for them in IPL 2020. Who can forget the Rahul Tewatia blitzkrieg in Sharjah? However, with excellent T20 form behind him ahead of a fresh season, Ishan is confident of fitting into any role assigned to him.
"Any player wishes to contribute 100 percent for the team at any given situation. Obviously, the execution part comes in the way when a side is under pressure. Hopefully, this year we will do better in that regard and if I am given the chances, I will look to take that responsibility. My goal would be to give my 120 percent and help the team win the trophy. Irrespective of bowling in death overs or in the Powerplay, I just love to bowl. Hopefully, we'll do well this season."
Ishan first drew attention in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, where he picked up 4/17 against Pakistan in the semi-final. He was at the forefront of Bengal's success as the team reached the 2019/20 Ranji Trophy final. Part of India A's tour of New Zealand a little later, Ishan picked up eight wickets in three games. Starting off as a fast medium bowler, Ishan hasn't just added speed, but has also learnt to swing the ball effectively. And as part of the learning curve, the 22-year-old is working on another delivery that promises to boost his arsenal.
"I was never the fastest bowler around to be frank. I bowl near about 136-136 clicks. I may have bowled a few overs in and around the 140 mark but I was never the quickest among the lot. Although due to my height, I get extra bounce than others and that probably helps me getting more wickets," Ishan says.
"I could seam the ball, but the swing never existed. Previously, the ball would come in but now I'm trying to develop a ball that can hold its line after pitching or maybe go away a bit from the batsman and trouble them. I have become stronger and added a bit of pace in my bowling. But I was never the quickest. I got the bounce and that's why I generally end up picking wicket."
Ishan's dream wicket is one that every young bowler aspires to take, of Virat Kohli. Recently, a 17-year-old uncapped bowler from Pakistan had similar sentiments. Having faced Kohli in the nets ahead of the start of the Australia series, Ishan admitted he learnt abundantly from the experience of bowling to the India captain.
Calling Kohli the best all-format batsman in the world, any chance Ishan gets of dismissing any of the senior batsmen he bowled to in India nets, he would gladly take it. But it wasn't at all surprising, knowing that getting the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain's wicket is right up there on his wishlist.
"Virat Kohli," Ishan said when asked about his dream wicket in IPL 2021. "On a funnier side, I got KL bhai out in a Ranji Trophy match so I've ticked that box. And obviously Rohit Sharma is great off fast bowling. He can hit those good length balls with ease. Obviously, picking those wickets would be a dream-come-true for me because I've seen them win matches for India while growing up. But yes, I would like to take the wicket of Virat Kohli because he is the No. 1 batsman in all three formats.
"I bowled a lot. I was in Dubai so I joined the Indian team there and got some 3-4 sessions there. I was in Australia for 10 days, where I bowled a lot. It was a learning experience because bowling to such great and quality batsmen of the calibre of Virat bhai, KL bhai – although I had bowled to him earlier during the Punjab Kings nets – bowling to them and Rohit Sharma, was a huge lesson. The mindset, the thinking and the execution part needs to be bang on target."
