Robin Uthappa, the former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, reflected on Yashasvi Jaiswal‘s intense dedication to cricket during their time together at the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2020. It marked Uthappa’s last season with RR and Jaiswal’s debut.
Jaiswal’s exceptional form continued into a remarkable Test series against England, where he became only the second Indian to amass over 700 runs in a series, ending with 712 runs at an impressive average of 89 in five matches.
Last year, the left-handed batsman also made a significant impact in the IPL, amassing 625 runs in 14 matches at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 163.61. In a conversation on Jio Cinema before IPL 2024, Uthappa emphasized Jaiswal’s intense dedication to cricket by recounting an incident from 2020.
“I worked closely with Yashasvi when he came into the IPL in 2020 with RR. He is a bit of a cricket nut. As He is obsessed with the game. He knows nothing but cricket. He lives, breathes, and eats only cricket.”
“You will see him walking off randomly on the bench, talking to himself and figuring his game out. An example of a practice session he had with the RR academy was that he went into practice at 2 in the afternoon and finished at 12.45 at night and just kept batting,” said Uthappa.
Despite Jaiswal’s outstanding performances, RR missed out on the playoffs last season, ending up in fifth place on the points table. Rajasthan will kick off their IPL 2024 journey with a home match against the Lucknow Super Giants on March 24.
“He is an all-format player and should have played for India a lot more” – Robin Uthappa thoughts on Ruturaj Gaikwad
Robin Uthappa hailed Ruturaj Gaikwad as a versatile player capable of excelling in all formats of the game. He expressed surprise at Gaikwad’s limited opportunities in international cricket, considering his exceptional performances at the domestic level.
Despite his consistent success, Gaikwad has only featured in 19 T20Is and six ODIs for India. Uthappa emphasized Gaikwad’s pivotal role in Chennai Super Kings’ batting lineup, where he has been a standout performer for the past three seasons, even clinching the Orange Cap in 2021.
“He is an all-format player and should have played for India a lot more than he has but the competition is so much that he hasn’t played much,” Uthappa said on Ruturaj.
Uthappa also commended wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, remarking:
“Another one that’s coming up the ranks is Dhruv Jurel. I really like him. He’s one for the future and I think he plays that finisher’s role with panache.”
Following a remarkable debut season with RR last year, where he maintained a striking rate of nearly 173, Jurel showcased his prowess in the recently concluded Test series against England.
In the series-clinching fourth Test in Ranchi, the 23-year-old delivered outstanding performances, scoring 90 and an unbeaten 39* despite challenging conditions.
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