Sai Kishore credits M.S. Dhoni tip after six for 34 and hat-trick in Ranji Trophy

Sai Kishore took six for 34, including a hat-trick in the second innings, to bowl Tamil Nadu to an innings victory over Uttarakhand in their Ranji Trophy fixture in Chennai on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, and said a tip from M.S. Dhoni given over five years ago helped him upgrade his bowling.

The 29-year-old said the advice first came during his stint with Chennai Super Kings and only in recent seasons has he begun to apply it in matches. “That was something I picked up during my stint with CSK. Dhoni emphasised it heavily, but back then, I didn’t quite grasp how much he meant. Over the last two years — starting from IPL 2025 — I’ve really begun embracing it. When you bowl from varied crease angles, the ball behaves differently off the deck. I leaned into that, and it’s paying rich dividends,” said Sai Kishore.

One notable feature of his performance was how he used the crease and varied his angles, including going wider, to trouble Uttarakhand’s batters in the second innings.

From being on the cusp of breaking into the national side, Sai Kishore said he has more recently fallen off the selectors’ radar after being ignored for both the Duleep Trophy and the Irani Cup. When asked whether this performance would help him get back into the limelight, he replied: “Maybe (it might). I didn’t bowl to take a hat-trick. I was just doing my job. When I am very honest to myself and when I am working hard, I think God is giving me all these things.”

Addressing his recent form and broader competition for places, Sai Kishore said: “Indian cricket is packed with talent, and to be fair, by my own benchmark, last year wasn’t my best season — even though I still averaged around three to three-and-a-half wickets a game. I take it in my stride, keep my head down, and focus entirely on performing consistently,” said Sai Kishore.

He has stated his immediate plan is to maintain that work ethic and focus on consistent performances as he looks to press his case for selection moving forward.