'Yashasvi is better than many' - Harbhajan Singh makes bold prediction for Yashasvi Jaiswal

The IPL 2023 has been a memorable tournament as several youngsters have dazzled by virtue of their performances in the T20 extravaganza. Players such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, and Tushar Deshpande have taken the tournament by storm with their exceptional outings and are knocking on the doors of selection to get a place in the Indian T20I team.

Answering a fan query about whether the Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal should replace Rohit Sharma in the Indian team, former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh said that based on his current form Jaiswal is better than many players.

"If we compare current form, and if we want to shift our focus towards youth, then Yashasvi (Jaiswal) is better than many. After the T20 World Cup defeat in Dubai (UAE) then plenty was discussed about forming a young unit for the format. Guys like Yashasvi, Rinku Singh, and Shubman Gill under Hardik Pandya should be a new team altogether,” Harbhajan was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

The 2007 T20 World Cup winner further said that Jaiswal should open the innings with Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya should captain the side.

“Hardik Pandya should be captain and Yashasvi opens the innings with Shubman Gill. These guys are filled with potential,” he added.

Notably, Jaiswal had a remarkable run in IPL 2023 as he scored 625 runs in 14 innings at an average of 48.07 and a strike rate of 163.61 with five fifties and one hundred to his name. The 21-year-old also registered the fastest fifty in the history of IPL reaching the landmark in 13 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma has scored just 313 runs in 14 innings at an average of 22.35 and a strike rate of 134.33. 

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Meanwhile, there have been widespread talks of revamping the Indian squad for T20Is after the disappointing campaigns of the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups. The BCCI is preparing a roadmap towards the next T20I world cup in 2024 as senior pros Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma haven’t featured in any of the T20Is after the semi-final loss against England in the T20 World Cup 2022.