According to Aakash Chopra, Yashasvi Jaiswal is nearly untouchable in his position. He also suggests that Jaiswal may edge out competitor Shubman Gill when it comes to India’s 2024 T20 World Cup team’s openers.
Jaiswal recently scored 72 runs in two innings in the India-Afghanistan T20I series. His strike rate? A whopping 180.00. On the other hand, Shubman Gill scored 23 runs during a single game, boasting a strike rate of 191.67. However, a blunder occurred where Gill was mixed up in a run-out miscommunication with Rohit Sharma.
Chopra shared a video on YouTube where he suggested that Jaiswal might be taking the lead in the competition for the spacer’s spot over Gill.
“It’s clear that Yashasvi Jaiswal has run ahead of Shubman Gill. Yashasvi is ahead in the two-horse race, Gill is lagging slightly behind. Gill was played in the first match, dropped in the second, and wasn’t played in the third as well.”
“Yashasvi was made to open in all three (last two) games. He was sent in the Super Over as well. The way Yashasvi is batting, it seems like he is not going anywhere. Considering what Yashasvi did in Indore and has done previously as well, he has become almost undroppable.”
Aakash Chopra
Chopra believes Jaiswal stands a good chance of victory provided he continues playing as he’s done in the IPL 2024’s initial games. He also mentioned that Gill will need to work hard to secure a spot in India’s T20 World Cup team.
Aakash Chopra disagrees with India’s choice of No. 3 for Kohli in T20s, prefers him as opener
Although Aakash Chopra believes that Virat Kohli is better suited to open in Twenty20 cricket, he feels that India has chosen to put him at No. 3.
“Before this series, Parthiv Patel said and I added more voice to that opinion, and I still believe opening is the best place for Kohli in T20s. However, it seems like Kohli will be at No. 3 because the Indian team is not thinking (about getting him to open).”
Aakash Chopra
The former cricket player turned broadcaster went on to say that India was not forced to change their batting order to accommodate left-handers because Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav were absent during the Afghanistan series.
“They are also not thinking because Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav aren’t there at the moment. So they are not thinking about the number of left-handers and right-handers. We have Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube – three left-handers.”
Aakash Chopra
According to Aakash Chopra, one can infer from the series that Kohli would bat at number three and adopt a somewhat ultra-aggressive style of play. He did, however, push the Indian team management to rethink their purported choice, emphasizing that Kohli’s finest work would come as an opener.