Ishan Kishan Scores 77 Against Pakistan, Beats His Weakness

When Ishan Kishan walked onto the field in Colombo on Sunday night, Pakistan thought they had him figured out.

The numbers told a clear story. Against off-spin bowlers in the early overs, Kishan's batting average dropped dramatically. He'd been dismissed four times in similar situations, and Pakistan had studied every one. They came prepared with three off-spinners ready to exploit what looked like an obvious weakness.

Then Kishan decided to rewrite the script. He smashed 77 runs off 40 balls with ten boundaries and three sixes. His strike rate soared to 192.5, and suddenly Pakistan's careful plans meant nothing.

The turning point came during a strategic timeout. Head coach Gautam Gambhir walked to the middle, found Kishan buzzing with energy, and mostly just listened. When play resumed, Kishan settled any remaining doubts in three consecutive deliveries against spinner Abrar Ahmed.

First ball: a precise guide through third man for four. Second ball: a powerful whip to long-on for another boundary. Third ball: an audacious inside-out drive over covers that lit up the stadium. Three balls, three boundaries, and Pakistan's match-up strategy lay in ruins.

What made the performance special wasn't just the runs. It was how Kishan achieved them. He wasn't getting lucky or sneaking boundaries through gaps. He was targeting every part of the field with complete control, dismantling the very bowling style that was supposed to contain him.

The Premadasa Stadium crowd roared as Kishan continued his assault. When spinner Shadab Khan came on, Kishan took 17 runs off his first over. Off-spinner, leg-spinner, mystery spinner—it didn't matter anymore. Kishan was seeing everything clearly and hitting everything cleanly.

Why This Inspires

This wasn't about natural talent overcoming a challenge. Kishan had a documented weakness that teams had circled in red on their strategy charts. The data was clear, the vulnerability was real, and Pakistan had done their homework perfectly.

But Kishan chose confrontation over avoidance. Instead of hoping someone else would handle the difficult matchups, he stood his ground and transformed his weakness into a weapon. That takes courage that statistics can't measure.

His approach sends a powerful message beyond cricket. We all have weaknesses that others can see, study, and try to exploit. The question is whether we'll work around them or face them head-on until they're not weaknesses anymore.

By the time Kishan's nine-over innings ended, India's total looked imposing and Pakistan needed new plans for next time.