“Everyone was saying what is mental health” - Harbhajan Singh lauds Ishan Kishan for his POTM performance in 2nd T20I vs NZ

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has heaped praise on the No.3 batter Ishan Kishan, who went on to smack a 76-run knock off 32 balls with 11 fours and four sixes in the second T20I against New Zealand, in Raipur.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the Turbanator has lauded Ishan Kishan for the way he stormed into the Indian T20 international team after putting up an exceptional effort in domestic cricket. Notably, Kishan emerged as the leading run-scorer in the SMAT 2025-26 campaign with 517 runs from 10 games at an average of 57.44.

"Ishan Kishan said, 'I am here'. The way he batted, it did not seem like the team were under pressure at all. He is not a player who goes for singles or doubles, he just went flat out. He has recently scored a lot of runs for Jharkhand. When he was dropped from the team two years ago, everyone was saying what is mental health, and that he is doing all of this, but no one understood what he was feeling," Harbhajan Singh said on his YouTube channel.

"The way he has played his cricket, winning the trophy for Jharkhand, and now playing in that same fashion. It is a huge thing to make a comeback to international cricket in such a way. I am really happy for him. These last two years were quite difficult for him, but the hard work he has done, he has been rewarded for it now. I hope that he steps out in the World Cup as a key player for India," he added.

"It was so nice to see Rinku Singh and Abhishek Sharma all come up to Ishan Kishan after he got out, and it shows that this team is a united bunch. They get happy with each other's performances. When the team atmosphere is like this, the team will always win," he concluded.

Shifting our focus to the details of the second T20I, New Zealand was tasked to bat first and posted a dominating total of 208/6 in 20 overs. In the chase, India sealed the deal in 15.2 overs with seven wickets in hand.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky365 and download the Sky365 App to start betting today!