New Delhi [India], October 16 : Former Indian selector and coach Madan Lal expressed his complete faith in young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal's potential to become a mainstay across all formats, saying that if he were a selector, he would not drop the left-hander from any format.
Madan Lal was speaking in a telltale interview on the Cricket Predicta TV Show.
Speaking during the show, Madan said, "If I were a selector, I would never drop Jaiswal from any format. He is a genuine match-winner who has already proven himself in Australia. Whether it is the Asia Cup, an ODI, or a Test match -- a player like him should always be in the XI. When someone can win matches single-handedly, you back him all the way. Jaiswal is the future of Indian cricket. If it were up to me, he would play in all three formats."
Jaiswal has proven himself as one of the best current Test batters in the world, with 2,428 runs in 26 matches and 49 innings at an average of 51.65, with seven centuries and 12 fifties. His best score is 214*. Five out of his seven centuries have been 150+plus scores and two of them have been double hundreds.
The southpaw is just as prolific in T20Is, with 723 runs in 22 innings across 23 matches at an average of 36.15 and a strike rate of over 164, with a century and five fifties. His best score is 100. He has also made plenty of runs for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the last few years. This season, he made 559 runs in 14 innings at an average of 43.00 and a strike rate of almost 160, with six half-centuries and a best score of 75. Despite his fine record, his last T20I was in July last year, with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson making a name for themselves as openers during his absence, as he prioritised Test cricket.
Jaiswal has played just one ODI for India, making 15 runs. In 46 List-A matches, he has made 1,526 runs in 33 innings at an average of 52.62, with five centuries and seven fifties and a best score of 203.
Speaking further, the 1983 World Cup winning star reflected on Virat Kohli's mindset ahead of the challenging Australian tour, underlining the mental demands the series will bring. "Virat now needs to step out of his comfort zone as he faces a formidable Australian side," he said.
"He has given everything to Indian cricket -- his passion, fitness, and hunger have set the highest standards. What he needs most right now is mental strength. Retirement is his personal choice, but yes, I was surprised when he decided to retire from Test cricket," he added.
The 1983 World Cup hero also made an emotional appeal to both the BCCI and Indian cricket fans, urging for a fitting farewell for two legends who have given their all to the game. "Rohit and Virat still have a lot of cricket left in them," Madan Lal said.
"They deserve a farewell that brings tears to every eye -- something like what the world will witness when Rafael Nadal retires. India must honour them the same way. Players like them are once-in-a-generation," he concluded.