Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif wants the Indian team management, led by Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma, to allow Yashasvi Jaiswal to make his debut in the ODI format as well. Kaif stated that Jaiswal is a special talent who has all the ingredients to become a consistent performer across all 3 formats. The former cricketer-turned-pundit made this admission after Jaiswal’s sensational home debut Test series against England.
Yashasvi Jaiswal topped the run-scoring chart in the 2024 Anthony De Mello Trophy series and was miles ahead of any other Indian or English batsman in the series. He played a key role in India’s comeback after losing the first Test in Hyderabad by 28 runs to go on to win the next 4 Tests in Vizag, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamshala.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s performance in the test series as it unfolded
He showed the signs of a successful series in the first Test when he scored 80 in the second innings before scoring 15 during the run chase. Then in the second Test, Yashasvi Jaiswal scored her second triple-digit score by converting his century into a classic Test match double century and 17 in the second innings as India claimed victory by 106 runs.
In the third Test, things looked up for Jaiswal in the second innings where he racked up another two hundreds after scoring just 10 in the first. Jaiswal teamed up with fellow Mumbai batsman and debutant Sarfaraz Khan to score a target of 557 runs which England lost by 434 runs at the Niranjan Shah Stadium.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s bat remained relatively calm in the fourth and fifth Tests as he scored 73 and 37 at Ranchi and 57 in a single innings at Dharamshala. He finally finished with 712 runs in 9 innings and received the Man of the Series award.
All this intrigued many former cricketers who have shown their appreciation for Jaiswal and Mohammad Kaif has become the latest.
Kaif claims that Yashasvi Jaiswal has great defensive and offensive technique.
Mohammad Kaif first asked his former teammate Rahul Dravid to hand him his ODI debut because he is an all-format player and secondly, he praised the left-hander for his technique. Kaif highlighted that Jaiswal has great defensive and offensive technique that allows him to adapt according to the requirements of the format.
Kaif also highlighted Yashasvi Jaiswal’s flamboyance and fearless attitude to take on the bowlers right from the start and change gears, from 1st to 7th in the blink of an eye.
“The sample size is very small, but we have been watching Jaiswal for many years. We have seen him in the Ranji Trophy and the IPL. He played splendidly in the IPL and is an incredible player. He is yet to make his ODI debut.”
“Give him an ODI debut too. He is an all-format player, whether it is ODI, T20 or Tests. As a batsman, he has both defensive and attacking techniques,” Mohammad Kaif said on Star Sports.
Yashasvi Jaiswal will be back in action when Rajasthan Royals play their first IPL match against Lucknow Super Giants on March 24 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.