Former India batter Wasim Jaffer wants Ishan Kishan to be dropped from the playing XI for the second T20I against West Indies and include young batter Yashasvi Jaiswal. Jaffer reckons that Kishan hasn't performed well in the shortest format of the game of late and handing an opportunity to Jaiswal only makes more sense. The wicketkeeper-batter scored six runs off nine balls in the first T20I against the Men in Maroon.
“I want to see Yashasvi Jaiswal. He should play as an opening batter. I want to see Jaiswal in place of Ishan Kishan. Ishan Kishan’s T20I form worries me. In the last 15 innings, he hasn’t even scored a 40, the strike rate is also too low. So, that’s a cause of concern, but he was in good form in ODIs. It’s a different format (T20I). He also had an ordinary IPL season,” Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo.
Kishan has an average of 24.40 and a strike rate of 121.81 in 28 T20Is for the Men in Blue. Jaiswal, on the other hand, was one of the storylines of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. The Rajasthan Royals' batter was named the emerging player of the tournament after he scored 625 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 163.61 and an average of 48.08, including five fifties and a century.
“Why not give an opportunity to the boy who played very well in the IPL? He won the emerging player award and is confident. I’ll definitely look towards that change. The first T20I was played on a difficult pitch, so expecting them (Kishan and Shubman Gill) to play in that fashion (free-flowing mode) is too much expectation. It’s crucial to see the pitch for the second T20I. If it’s good enough, then our batters will obviously play well,” Jaffer added.
Kishan, meanwhile, ended the three-match ODI series against the Windies with 184 runs in three matches at an average of 61.33 and a strike rate of 111.52 and was awarded the Man of the Series award.
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