Yashasvi Jaiswal: It’s an honor to bat with Virat bhaiya

Young Team India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has said that it’s an honor to bat with a cricket legend like Virat Kohli. He stated that there a lots of things that he can learn from the former India captain, asserting that he is trying to do the same.

Jaiswal top-scored for India with a stroke-filled 68 off 34 balls in the second T20I against Afghanistan at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Sunday. The Men in Blue were set a target of 173 and got home by six wickets in 15.4 overs.

Apart from Jaiswal, Shivam Dube also struck an impressive 63* off 32 balls. Earlier, the former shared a 57-run stand with Kohli to lift Team India after skipper Rohit Sharma was dismissed for a duck.

At a post-match presentation, Jaiswal shared his thoughts on batting with Kohli and commented:

“It was really nice, going there and [I am] enjoying the game. Whenever I bat with Virat bhaiya, it’s an honor to bat with him; lots of things to learn.”

Asked about the discussion between the two batters out in the middle, the left-hander added that it was about the areas to target for runs.

“When we were batting, we had a small chat that where we can hit. We decided that it is quite easy to hit over long-on or mid-off. We were trying to do that. The intent was there, and there were positive vibes as well. We were just trying to hit good shots,” Jaiswal elaborated.

The 22-year-old struck five fours and six sixes in his terrific knock before being caught behind off Karim Janat. Kohli fell for a bright 29 off 16, playing his first T20I match since November 2022.

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“Just trying to do well for my team” - Yashasvi Jaiswal

With the T20 World Cup only six months away, Jaiswal seems to have put his name in contention for the ICC event. If he carries on batting in the same vein, the young southpaw could remain the first-choice opener ahead of Shubman Gill. For now, though, the batter just wants to focus on his process.

“I have been told to express myself and try to do what I do and just keep working hard in my practice sessions and on my process. Whenever I get a chance, I try my best and make sure that I am doing things for team, which is important. I am just trying to do well for my team,” Jaiswal commented.

The 22-year-old has made an impressive start to his T20I career, scoring 498 runs in 15 innings at an average of 35.57 and a strike rate of 163.81 with one hundred and four fifties.