Former South African batter AB de Villiers praised young Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for his impressive performance in this edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. The 21-year-old has been the standout performer for the RR in IPL 2023 season.
Rajasthan opener has scored 625 runs in 14 matches at an average of 48.08 and has hit five half-centuries and one century in the season. The Indian southpaw also achieved his first IPL hundred-124 against MI, the highest score by an uncapped Indian batter in the cash-rich league.
The uncapped player caught the attention of fans and experts alike with his impeccable shot selection and ability to find gaps in the field. The batter finally paid off the trust shown in him by Rajasthan and hit five half-centuries and one century in the season. The batter had performed at a time when Jos Buttler struggled for Rajasthan at the top of the order.
Praising Jaiswal on JioCinema, former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) player De Villiers expressed his admiration for the young talent, calling him his favorite player of IPL 2023. De Villiers highlighted Jaiswal’s full range of shots and his composed temperament at the crease, emphasizing his ability to dominate bowlers while appearing in control of his innings.
“Yashasvi Jaiswal for me and by a long margin for sure. He is a young player and has got all the shots in the book. He has a calm and composed temperament at the wicket and I love what he does, dominating the bowlers and always looks like he is in control.” devilliers said on Jio Cinema.
De Villiers also revealed why he preferred Yashasvi over Shubman Gill. He clarified by saying that while Gill is slightly older, Jaiswal has immense potential and a long journey ahead. Jaiswal has all the qualities required to become a great player in the future.
“Shubman is a little bit older, I think Jaiswal’s got a long way to go, and he has all the credentials to become a great.” he further added.
However, despite young Jaiswal’s heroism on the field with bat, the Jaipur-based franchise could not cross the hurdle for the Playoffs. They lost a must-win game to RCB by 112 runs during the last phase. With 14 points, seven wins, and seven defeats, they finished in the 5th spot in the IPL 2023 points table.
