IND vs SA 2022: [WATCH] Local boy Ishan Kishan delivers a special fan note to Shardul Thakur

Team India batter and local boy Ishan Kishan interacted with fans and the ground staff after the Men in Blue’s seven-wicket triumph over South Africa in Ranchi in the second ODI on Sunday, October 9. That’s not all, the left-handed batter even delivered a special note from a fan to all-rounder Shardul Thakur.

Kishan, 24, who represents Jharkhand in domestic cricket, was one of the star performers in India’s win over the Proteas in the second ODI of the three-match series. He scored a brilliant 93 off 84 balls and featured in a 161-run third-wicket stand with Shreyas Iyer (113* off 111) as the hosts chased down 279 in 45.5 overs.

After the comprehensive win, Kishan had a heartwarming chat with fans and members of the ground staff. As he headed back to the dressing room, he displayed a note given to him by a fan, which had “Shardul Thakur 54" written on it along with a heart symbol (54 is Thakur's jersey number).

Upon reaching the dressing room, the youngster handed over the special note to the all-rounder, who smilingly posed with it. The official Twitter handle of BCCI shared the endearing post-match video with the caption:

“Fan interactions with local lad @ishankishan51. P.S. - Also, Ishan delivers a special fan note to @imShard #TeamIndia | #INDvSA.”

Speaking of the match, South Africa batted first after winning the toss and posted a competitive 278 for seven. Reeza Hendricks (74) and Aiden Markram (79) starred for the visitors, adding 129 for the third wicket. For India, Mohammed Siraj claimed 3/38 in his 10 overs.

In reply, the Men in Blue lost skipper Shikhar Dhawan for 13 and Shubman Gill for 28. Kishan and Shreyas, however, ensured India stayed alive in the series with an excellent partnership.

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“They were asking me to get a hundred” - Ishan Kishan on the experience of playing on home ground

Speaking after the game, Kishan admitted that he was pleased to perform in front of his home crowd and that too in a winning cause. He said:

“Feeling good, it's 1-1, so very excited to play the decider at Delhi. Really happy about with the way we contributed to the team. It is my home ground, there were too many people watching. When I was fielding they were asking me to get a hundred today, unfortunately I missed it.

“No worries, I'm just happy that my team won the game today and maybe in the next game I will give my best and make my team win again."

On how Team India planned what could have been a tricky chase, the southpaw revealed:

“It's difficult here sometimes. Because I (have) played so many matches in Ranchi, (I know) it is not easy for the new batters to score runs, so we were looking to play according to the merit of the ball.”

With the series tied 1-1, India and South Africa will meet in the decider at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Tuesday, October 11.