Things are not going in India’s favour in the ongoing T20I series against West Indies. The Hardik Pandya-led side has faced back-to-back losses in two games and has come under real pressure. In the first match, they failed to chase and then in the second game they failed to defend.
The focus now is towards the third game of the series which will be played on Tuesday (8th August). If India losses this game it’ll be their first series loss against West Indies in the last 17 years and therefore to keep this record intact, they need to bring their A-game and play their best cricket.
One of the major concerns for India in this series has been its opening. Both Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan have not delivered in both the games and have gotten out for low scores. Gill is expected to get a longer run but clouds are hovering over Kishan’s place in the team.
Ishan Kishan has failed terribly in T20s and hasn’t hit a half-century in this format since June 2022. He has looked clueless in this format and with Yashasvi Jaiswal on the bench, many calls have been there to drop the keeper batter and give opportunity to the youngster.
Yashasvi Jaiswal outclassed many bowlers with his performance in the IPL 2023 and also overshadowed the likes of Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson and others in his team. He ended as a leader and run-getter for the team and was the main behind their success this season. He scored 625 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 163.61. Also, he scored one hundred and 5 fifties this season.
IND vs WI: Ishan Kishan or Yashasvi Jaiswal for third T20I? Wasim Jaffer makes a bold choice
With the third T20I between India and West Indies just a few hours away from, Wasim Jaffer has shared his verdict on the selection. The former Indian cricketer highlighted Ishan Kishan’s poor record in T20Is and said that he should be rested for the third game.
Wasim Jaffer backed Yashasvi Jaiswal to play the third game and explained: “We know that Ishan Kishan has struggled in the T20 internationals, so give him a break. He might come back stronger when he plays next. I would pick Yashasvi Jaiswal without a doubt just because he brings that fearlessness. He plays spin well and his batting against fast bowling is exemplary.
He’s right at the peak of his game, high on confidence, so why not throw him in the mix and see what you get? He’s got runs in Tests and he’s looking for an opportunity. You might get a breath of fresh air like you did with Tilak Varma, so why not?,” he concluded.