Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has opined that Yashasvi Jaiswal holds a slight edge over Ruturaj Gaikwad in the race to secure a spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad. Both youngsters impressed during the recent T20I series against Australia, showcasing their potential as openers. Jaiswal and Gaikwad were given the opportunity to open the batting in the absence of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.
Both left-handers made significant contributions, with Jaiswal providing quick starts and Gaikwad anchoring the innings with a match-winning century. With the T20 World Cup 2024 on the horizon, the performances of both players will be closely scrutinized, especially in the upcoming T20I series against South Africa.
Aakash Chopra, in a video on his YouTube channel, expressed his preference for Jaiswal, citing the advantage of a left-right opening combination.
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“I am thinking about a left-right combination. I feel it has more importance in T20s because you have only six (powerplay) overs and you have to maximize them. There is no doubt you can have two right-handers, Shubman (Gill) and Rohit (Sharma) have been playing together. Rohit and Ruturaj can also play together,” Aakash Chopra stated.
He added, “There is no problem with that but there is an advantage with left-right. In ODIs, you have time, you can play one or two overs cautiously. You need to start in T20s like Vande Bharat Express or the Shatabdi. Then you have brighter chances to post a huge total. So Yashasvi looks slightly ahead to me.”
However, Aakash Chopra acknowledged that Jaiswal’s selection hinges on a strong performance in the upcoming IPL 2024.
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“However, it (the T20 World Cup) is still six months away. You need an extremely good IPL. If that is not good, all the talk will be worthless. I personally feel Yashasvi Jaiswal. Ruturaj Gaikwad – outstanding cricketer. He is part of all three formats for the South Africa tour but if I see only the T20 format, I feel Yashasvi is slightly ahead because of the way he plays,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
The ongoing debate over Jaiswal and Gaikwad highlights the abundance of talent within India’s batting lineup. Both players possess the potential to make a significant impact on the T20I stage, and their performances in the coming months will determine their fate in the lead-up to the World Cup.
