JAIPUR: The entire cricketing world is going ga-ga over Yashasvi Jaiswal following his match-winning knock in the Perth Test a few days ago and Aakash Chopra was no different.
The former Indian opener-turned-commentator termed Jaiswal as the ‘next superstar of Indian cricket’ with his remarkable abilities and hunger for runs.
“Yashasvi is the next superstar of Indian cricket. He is always hungry for runs and it makes him different from the others. I think he is an all-format player. He can play equally well in Tests as well as in the limited-over versions,” said Chopra during the launch of the World Tennis Ball Premier League (WTPL) T10 here on Thursday.
Jaiswal lit up Perth in his maiden Test on Australian soil, hammering a glorious 161 in the second innings. The dashing opener’s heroics were pivotal in securing a 1-0 lead for India in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
“In a nutshell his scores of 0 and 161 in Perth explains his life. You can call his journey from zero to hero. When he came to Mumbai from a small town Bhadohi (Uttar Pradesh), he was zero. But over the years his relentless hard work with desire to succeed made him a hero. He is just 22 and with age on his side, he is poised to become one of the greatest batsmen of the world,” said Chopra.
The Delhi-based cricketer played just 10 Test matches but one of the highlights of his career was doing well in the 2003 series in Australia. He scored 186 runs in four Tests to help India draw the series 1-1.
Regular captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are slated to make comeback in the second Test starting in Adelaide on December 6 and it means KL Rahul, who has done well in Perth, will have to come down the order.
“When your name is Rahul, you are supposed to bat at any order. Rahul Dravid had done it before and now it is the turn of KL Rahul. I believe he will have to bat at No. 6 in the second Test where he batted most of his career. The momentum is with the Indian team after winning the opening Test quite convincingly. I am sure India will retain the BGT with their all-round performance,” said Chopra.
The 47-year-old feels next year’s Champions Trophy, scheduled to be played in Pakistan, can’t happen without India’s participation. After India refused to travel to Pakistan, the ICC Champions Trophy’s future hangs in balance with the final call regarding its schedule to be made in the ICC board meeting on Friday.
“The right choice should be made, and it is beyond our understanding what would be the right call. India’s travel to Pakistan is not decided by the BCCI but by the Indian government. If they have decided not to travel to Pakistan, then it is completely right. Wherever the Champions Trophy will be played, it can’t happen without India,” said Chopra.