Jaiswal short of runs, childhood coach offers solutions

Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal during the match against Gujarat Titans in Jaipur recently. PIC/AFP

Table-toppers Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be eyeing another win when they compete with Hardik Pandya's Mumbai Indians in Jaipur today. Though Riyan Parag (318 runs), skipper Sanju Samson (276) and Jos Buttler (250) have been amongst the runs, RR opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored just 121 runs in seven games.

Jaiswal's Mumbai-based childhood coach Jwala Singh feels an interaction with India captain and MI opener Rohit Sharma will help Jaiswal. "When he plays MI [Monday], Rohit will be there. And there is a possibility of Rohit speaking to him. If he has a conversation with Rohit, he will feel mentally better. Very soon there is the T20 World Cup. [Indian] team management also want Yashasvi to perform well," Jwala told mid-day on Sunday.

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Jaiswal was in the top-five batsmen of IPL 2023 with 625 runs from 14 games. In the recent five-Test series against England, Jaiswal emerged the top run-getter with 712 runs. However, his last seven IPL innings read 24, 5, 10, 0, 24, 39 and 19.

When asked whether Jaiswal is taking the pressure of selection, as Ajit Agarkar's selection committee will select Team India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in USA and West Indies very soon, Jwala said: "I don't think he is taking any pressure or thinking about World Cup selection. If you see his international record he should be the frontrunner for Team India's opening slot in the World Cup. In T20 cricket, some players experience tough times. However, selectors are also thinking about his [Jaiswal] past performances. But of course, if he wants to cement his place for the World Cup, he should perform well in the remaining IPL games."

Jwala admitted that wrong shot selection and losing balance while playing a shot, sometimes affects Jaiswal's performance. "Yashasvi was losing his body shape or balance while hitting a ball. Even in the last match [against Kolkata Knight Riders], when he tried to hit the ball, his head fell back and he lost control and got out. And yes, sometimes his shot selection is also a concern.

"If he maintains his body positioning properly while playing a shot then I think it won't be a big issue for him to score big. He is playing the same attacking way like last year. When a player gets stable, people expect him to play even better. So, maybe he is trying to prove himself," remarked Jwala.

Jwala has some advice for his ward. "There may be something that is going through his mind, but I feel he should take some time and rotate the strike after hitting two to three fours. If he picks the right ball for the shot and works on his balance in the nets, it will definitely make the difference," he signed off.