BY- AYUSH ARORA
Yashasvi Jaiswal has finally arrived in IPL 2024. After a string of low scores, the Rajasthan Royals opener pummelled the second century of his Indian Premier League career to take his team to victory against the Mumbai Indians on Monday evening. Incidentally, both of Jaiswal’s hundreds have come against MI – he hit 124 off 62 balls last year to go with 104 not out off 60 balls yesterday at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium as RR successfully chased down MI’s target of 180 with ease in 18.4 overs.
Jaiswal, Jos Buttler and captain Sanju Samson all chipped in with useful contributions. Buttler was cleaned up by Piyush Chawla for 35 but Jaiswal and Samson added an unbeaten 109-run partnership to see RR through. Jaiswal was trumped by Sandeep Sharma for the Player of the Match award for his outstanding spell of 5/18, but the 21-year-old’s timely knock roars him back into contention for a place in India’s squad at the T20 World Cup.
After the match, as Sunil Gavaskar interviewed Jaiswal for his incredible innings, he asked the batter a question that every Mumbaikar would have been thinking about. Jaiswal, who is from Mumbai, has an impressive record against five-time champions MI, and Gavaskar couldn’t help but wonder what it is about the Mumbai Indians that brings out the best in him every time. Here’s how the conversation played out.
Gavaskar: “Yashasvi! Sunil here. This is your second century against the Mumbai Indians. And you’re a Mumbai boy. What is it that is making you score these hundreds against them? Can’t you score these hundreds against others?”
Jaiswal: “Nothing. It’s just that I think am trying to do what I do well. Some days are tough, some days are good. And I was just playing. That’s all. I didn’t have anything in my mind.”
The importance of Jaiswal’s knock
Jaiswal’s first innings of substance, however, hasn’t done him enough to bag a place in the top 10 of the leading run-scorers list this IPL. He is still way behind in the pecking order, placed 22 with 225 runs from 8 matches. Having said that, Jaiswal’s return to form bodes well not just for RR but for the Indian team as well. The breakout star of the Test series against England with over 700 runs, Jaiswal has been earmarked to be Rohit Sharma’s partner for India at the T20 World Cup, and despite countering reports that the spot may belong to Virat Kohli, Yashasvi’s knock promises to give headaches to the selectors.
Jaiswal, who has been very high on Rohit and his captaincy, proved his own words correct when he hugged the former MI captain after the match. Prior to the game, a few pictures and videos has depicted Jaiswal’s admiration towards Rohit, and this post-match gesture shows just how much of an impact the India skipper has had on youngsters, including Jaiswal.