'Bhaiya gave me a lot of advice': Shikhar Mohan’s 85 gives East Zone a lift; Reveals Ishan Kishan’s guidance

Shikhar Mohan, Jharkhand batter credited captain Ishan Kishan’s constant guidance after making an impressive 85 on his Duleep Trophy debut against South Zone in the 2026/27 final.Mohan, who came into the East Zone XI as a replacement for Jharkhand teammate Virat Singh, played a key role in rebuilding the innings after the early wickets. He added 94 runs for the third wicket with Kishan, helping East Zone recover and take control on the opening day.Kishan remained unbeaten on 111 at stumps, while Kumar Kushagra was not out on 63 as East Zone finished the day on 385/4 in 79 overs.“Ishan bhaiya was giving me a lot of advice while batting. He was telling me what shot is on and what is not. Thanks to that, we had a great partnership,” Mohan told reporters after play.Ranji form and T20 experience boost debutMohan earned his place in the East Zone side after an outstanding debut Ranji Trophy season, where he scored 613 runs at an average of 55.72. Although primarily an opener, he had no issues adapting to the No. 3 position with Abhimanyu Easwaran and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi opening for East Zone.“My journey has been very good so far. My first season in Ranji Trophy went very well, so coming into this match, I just wanted to carry that forward. I was looking to maintain that form from the Ranji Trophy,” he said.Mohan also accepted the challenge of facing South Zone’s short-ball strategy, with five fielders stationed on the leg side. He showed patience before eventually falling to Chama Milind after an inside edge off a bouncer.“The plan was that I would leave the ball first, and when they get tired, they will give me chances to score runs. I made a poor decision and got out,” he admitted.The youngster also felt his experience in the Jharkhand T20 League helped him handle the pressure of playing in front of a sizeable crowd at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.“I think it helped a lot. The crowds there were also very good, so today when there was a big crowd, it felt normal to me,” Mohan said.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.