Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri has been left impressed with the performance of young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who he believes is a talented player across all formats of the game. Jaiswal hit a 13-ball fifty, the fastest half-century in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the Rajasthan Royals (RR) went on hammer the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bowlers, putting on a stunning show of big-hitting at the Eden Gardens.
Shastri is of the opinion that Jaiswal will soon receive a call-up to the Indian team, stating "immediately. The selectors would love seeing what they are seeing. They would love to see such a talent after a long wait, someone who is so good across all formats."
"Jaiswal continues to wow everybody who watches him. In some of his shots through the off-side, the head is absolutely still and the footwork is impeccable. For someone who is 21 years old, he has come up the hard way," Shastri told Star Sports.
He also praised Jaiswal's skills in white-ball and T20 cricket, saying that he would walk into the side irrespective of who's there. "His will be the first name picked," Shastri added.
Jaiswal's journey to the top has not been an easy one. He had to do odd jobs like selling Pani Puri to make ends meet. Shastri credited his hard work in this regard and said that such hardship had toughened him mentally and made him ready for the challenges of professional cricket.
"When you go through that kind of hardship… You are tough, you are really tough mentally. You are ready. And you can see he is sorted. Let's hope he stays that way. It's important when you come up that quickly. I hope he gets the best guidance, and he is kept grounded. He is not someone who is going to forget it. It's going to reap him rewards like never before," Shastri said.
Shastri also lauded Jaiswal's humble attitude and approach to the game, stating, "Even the way he speaks now, it's so refreshing to hear that one line. We are obsessed with hundreds in this country, IPL hundreds. IPl is about goals and runs. He was happy with the shot that he played to win the match and reach 98. It tells you a lot. That 98 is as good as any 100 anybody has played. It's more than any hundred."
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