KKR assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has supported Yashasvi Jaiswal's instinctively aggressive approach as an opener, saying that was the young batter’s strength. He showcased his entertaining batting style in the opening T20I, smashing two sixes and two fours with a strikingly high strike rate of over 262. However, his innings was short-lived as he departed for 21 off 8 balls after dismissing Gaikwad for a diamond duck, with Matthew Short taking the wicket in the second over.
"See, this is his strength. He's not a player who takes too much time to settle in. I think he's been given the role to play with freedom. He plays in the same way for Mumbai in domestic cricket and the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. If you are an instinctively aggressive player, then you should remain that way," Nayar said on JioCinema.
Jaiswal scored 625 runs in 14 matches during the IPL 2023, even though he recorded a duck. However, what has impressed everyone is not just the quantity of runs but also the remarkable speed at which he achieved this feat. He maintained a strike rate of 163.61 in 2023, a significant improvement from his rates of 132.99 in 2022 and 148.21 in 2021.
India secured a two-wicket victory in the opening T20I in Visakhapatnam, giving them a 1-0 advantage in the five-match series. However, aside from pacer Mukesh Kumar, the Indian bowlers seemed unable to control the run rate. Considering the similar conditions expected at Greenfield International Stadium, it becomes crucial for the Indian bowlers to work cohesively as a unit. On the batting front, captain Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan are in excellent form, having contributed match-winning runs in the previous game.
In the initial match, India's top order, consisting of Suryakumar, Ishan, Rinku, and Jaiswal, displayed commendable batting performances against the Australian spinners. The team aims to sustain this momentum, with a particular focus on Ishan, who aims to reduce the number of dot balls in his innings.
"In the 1st T20I, all the players were playing after a long time, so I think they should be given one more match before the management thinks about making any change in the XI. Also, there was nothing for the spinners on the pitch in Visakhapatnam. They should continue playing the winning XI," Mishra also said on JioCinema.
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