'If he does that, he will definitely be in reckoning for Team India call-up': Sehwag offers crucial advice for RR star
IPL 2022: Virender Sehwag heaped praise on the Rajasthan Royals star and offered a crucial advice as he discussed the player's chances for a maiden India call-up.
The Rajasthan Royals entered the final of the 2022 Indian Premier League on Friday when they beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Chasing a 158-run target, Jos Buttler scored an unbeaten century (106*), while bowlers Prasidh Krishna and Obed McCoy took three wickets each earlier to secure a dominant victory for the Royals. The Sanju Samson-led side will be taking on the Gujarat Titans for the title clash at the same venue on May 29. Follow IPL 2022 Coverage
One of the RR players who stepped up brilliantly for the side over the past few matches is Yashasvi Jaiswal. After a slow start to the season, Jaiswal was benched for a major part of the season before being called back to the XI for the game against Punjab Kings. He scored a brisk 68 in the game, and followed it up with crucial scores of 19, 41, and 59 in the remaining games of the league phase, as he opened the batting alongside Jos Buttler.
In Qualifier 2 against RCB, Yashasvi may have had a short stay at the crease (21 off 13 balls), but his innings set the tone for RR's run-chase. The young left-hander scored 16 runs off the first over, taking the pressure off his partner Jos Buttler.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag was mightily impressed with Yasahsvi, but insisted that the player has to convert his starts into big knocks if he has to make a case for an international selection.
“He (Jaiswal) released the pressure straight away in the first over, when he hit 16 runs. He took the pressure off Jos Buttler completely. So, you have to applaud Jaiswal. It might be a short innings, but it was a useful one. So, it's good that they have a batter who is brave enough to make the full use of the powerplay,” Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.
“But, if he has to play for India, he will have to score big runs. He will have to show that he is hungry for big scores. If he does that, he will definitely be in reckoning for an India call-up. But undoubtedly, his 21 runs off 13 balls were very useful in the game against RR," Sehwag further said.
The RR will be aiming to lift the IPL title for the second time, having won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008.