"Even Kevin Pietersen didn't hit me like that" - Harbhajan Singh's stunning praise for Team India batter amid Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh heaped rich praise on Jharkhand captain Ishan Kishan after his sensational century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. In Jharkhand’s tournament opener against Karnataka on December 24, Kishan went on a rampage, racing to his hundred in just 33 balls. He eventually scored 125 off 139 deliveries, smashing seven fours and 14 sixes, as Jharkhand posted a massive 412/9 in their 50 overs.

However, his brilliant effort ended in defeat, as Karnataka successfully chased the target in 47.3 overs, winning by five wickets, led by Devdutt Padikkal’s outstanding 147.

Speaking on his YouTube channel on December 25, Harbhajan Singh praised Ishan Kishan and recalled an incident from an exhibition match in Mumbai in 2018, where the left-hander had blasted an unbeaten 124 off just 49 balls. The 45-year-old said he had recognized Kishan’s talent early on and shared how the batter struck him for a reverse switch hit, adding that even Kevin Pietersen hadn’t hit him in that manner. Harbhajan said:

“He’s (Ishan) small in stature, but he hits such big shots. I had already recognized his talent earlier. I had come to play a match with him once. I remember it clearly, it was an exhibition match in Mumbai. I was bowling. I bowled one ball a little slower, and he played it slightly late towards the covers. The next ball he went down on one knee and hit it for a four there. Then I said to myself, okay, now I won’t bowl slow to him, I’ll bowl fast. I bowled a fast delivery. The ball was a bit wet. But the moment the ball left my hand, he went down and played a reverse sweep. I remember that very clearly.” “I said, this guy is an amazing player. I mean, even Kevin Pietersen didn’t hit me like that with a reverse switch hit the way this young boy did. I said, this is a special talent. After that, recently he wasn’t in the team, but as I said, I’m really happy to see him back in the side because he has a lot of power. He is a very, very strong player. He’s young, but he plays with great maturity,” he added.

Ishan Kishan will be back in action on December 26 for Jharkhand, when they face Rajasthan in their second match of the competition in Ahmedabad.

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“He is going to be someone who breaks a lot of records” - Harbhajan Singh heaps huge acclaim on 14-year-old star

In the same video, Harbhajan Singh also praised 14-year-old Bihar prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi after his breathtaking 190 off just 84 balls, which included 16 fours and 15 sixes, against Arunachal Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. Bihar went on to register the highest total in List A history, finishing with 574/6. Applauding the young left-hander, Harbhajan said:

“I’m looking at it and seeing that the number of fours is 16, and 15 sixes. I mean, he’s such a young boy. We all know that, very talented. But scoring 570 to 575 runs, man, wow. In 50 overs, this is unreal, never heard of it. I honestly couldn’t believe it. I thought maybe these were the combined totals of two matches. It’s incredible, really." "These are extraordinary numbers. Bihar has done something amazing, and especially this wonder kid, Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Unbelievable. What a brilliant player. And when his time comes, I feel that if everything goes well, he is going to be someone who breaks a lot of records. An outstanding player. Unbelievable," he added.

Overall, Suryavanshi has played seven List A matches, scoring 322 runs at an average of 46.00 and an impressive strike rate of 157.84, including one fifty and one century.

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Edited by Dev Sharma