Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has named the three emerging players of Indian cricket. The cricketer-turned-commentator picked Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, and also explained the reasons behind his picks.
Shubman Gill has been considered the prince of Indian cricket. The amount of things he has achieved in his short career so far has been exceptional. The young batsman has also become the vice-captain of the Indian team in white-ball cricket.
Shubman Gill is seen as the possible replacement for Virat Kohli. Although he is a long way from that level, he has shown a lot of promise. The young batsman has already done some fantastic things in his career and with the kind of talent he has, he seems to be the next big thing in Indian cricket.
Aakash Chopra, while explaining why he picked Shubman Gill, mentioned that the batsman is a future superstar. He admitted that the batsman has not performed well in T20s but highlighted the example of current captain Rohit Sharma, who was not named in the 2011 World Cup squad but went on to become a great player. Speaking to Raj Shamani, he explained:
“There are three players like that. There’s Shubman Gill. He’s got that, I mean, that future superstar quality. He’s doing it. He shouldn’t have been picked for the T20 (World Cup). The team that was picked was fine. It’s fine. Which is fine. Look, that’s our problem. Sometimes, we tend to get too hung up on it. He’s a player now. So he should play in all three formats. There’s no legitimate rule that says he should play. He might just make it.
“In the IPL, he’s doing very well. He’s made 900 runs in a year. He had a great season for Gujarat. I mean, he’s very young. He’ll figure it out. But if he doesn’t play, that’s fine. Rohit Sharma didn’t play in the 2011 World Cup. That’s fine. But now he’s India’s most successful captain. So that’s the way, of course. Don’t worry. One of them is Shubman,” Aakash Chopra said.
Aakash Chopra further highlighted the ability to understand the pulse of the game as Shubman Gill’s greatest quality. He related the young batsman to Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, saying that the young batsman understands when and how to change his role. He added:
“Shubman’s greatest quality is that he understands the pulse of the game. He understands the pulse of the game. You play for a long time and you don’t understand. Some players understand very quickly.
“Some get it with time, some never get it. So, players who see the ratings get it very quickly. Virat Kohli got the pulse of the game very quickly. Mahendra Singh Dhoni got the pulse of batting in one day very quickly,” Aakash Chopra said.
“Shubman Gill has understood the pulse of the game. He understands 100% where the game is going. Where can I go? Where can I take it? How can it work to my expectations? He is absolutely brilliant. He is first class. He understands. He does it.”
While talking about Yashasvi Jaiswal, Aakash Chopra mentioned the young batsman’s journey and touted him as a very hard-working cricketer. The cricketer-turned-commentator believes that the batsman has a game for all three formats, and even if he feels something is missing, he has the passion to complete it. He explained:
“The second guy I like a lot is Yashasvi Jaiswal. I think he has a lot. His story is also very good actually. And he has his head in the right place. I mean, firmly on his shoulders. He is very hard-working and has a lot of strength. He is the second. Yashasvi is very exciting. Yashasvi has come with so much dedication. The way he has played cricket. The way he has come this far. There is something about him.
“He has that game for three formats. If we want to obsess over that fact again, he has that game for three formats. He can do this, he can do that. And if something is missing, he has the passion to complete it. So that kind of absolute, crazy passion is visible. He has that temperament as well,” Aakash Chopra said.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has found a regular place in the Indian team in Tests and T20Is. The batsman has performed exceptionally for the team in both formats. In his short career so far, he has hardly made any mistakes for his team, scoring runs consistently for the team.
Aakash Chopra was deeply impressed by Rishabh Pant
Aakash Chopra was in awe of Rishabh Pant, who, according to him, has an extra element. He feels that the wicketkeeper-batsman has unique batting skills and his self-confidence, along with that, makes him a special player.
Aakash Chopra mentioned that when he first saw Rishabh Pant, he looked like a combination of Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh. The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the wicketkeeper-batsman proved his mettle in Test cricket and also in overseas conditions. While praising Pant, he explained:
“The third one is Rishabh Pant. Rishabh Pant also has something. He has an extra element. Rishabh Pant has some unique skills. He has some unique batting skills. And batting skills combined with the self-confidence that he has.
“I can do this work that other people don’t even dare to do. He has that. When I saw Rishabh for the first time, I said he is a combination of Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh. His style of playing is that combination.
“It’s a phenomenal combination for white-ball cricket. But his speciality came through in Test cricket. When he was playing in England, when he was playing in Australia, when he was playing in South Africa. I mean it was sensational,” Aakash Chopra said.
“To change the course of a T20 match and an ODI match, it is possible. We have seen it many times – one innings, one player, one period, changes the game. To change the game in Test cricket, you have to play one session.
“Playing a session and going all the way is something he has done multiple times outside India. So, these are tough assignments. That sets him apart from the rest. I assure you that Indian cricket will continue to throw up names. They will say, ‘Wow! This guy is very tough too. Someone new,'” concluded Aakash Chopra.
