Kolkata: Former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel was left spellbound by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s innings of an unbeaten 47-ball 98 and showered him with rich praise while adding that the left-handed batter was smart enough to take charge from the word go in order to get a big score.
Chasing 150, Jaiswal began like a high-speed Ferrari as he scored 50 in just 13 balls, including smacking 26 runs in the opening over off Nitish Rana. In the process, Jaiswal reached the quickest fifty of the IPL with the help of seven fours and three sixes, surpassing the previous record of a 14-ball half-century in the tournament scored by K.L. Rahul in 2018 and Pat Cummins in 2022.
“He backed his game plan really well. He saw Nitish Rana bowling the first over and understood that he can build a big score if he takes charge, and that’s what he did with a six on the first ball. That shows the thought process of the young generation, they aren’t afraid of anything,” Patel was quoted as saying by JioCinema.
Jaiswal was sparkling in his strokeplay, combining bravado and fearless approach to hit 13 fours and five sixes at a strike-rate of 208.51 to be 98 not out while sharing an unbroken 121-run partnership with captain Sanju Samson for the second wicket as Rajasthan are now at third position in the points table.
“The way Yashasvi batted tonight. You talk about the likes of Chris Gayle, Yuvraj Singh, the brutal hitting that we talk about. Here the batting was with proper timing and proper cricketing shots. At no point did it feel like he was forcing anything, just timing it well,” added Patel.
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal became the leading wicket-taker in the history of the IPL through a mesmerising spell of 4-25 and former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith lauded him for pushing Kolkata on backfoot.
“KKR knew they needed 180 on the evening. The fielding was brilliant and the effort was excellent, some great catches. Yuzi Chahal came in at a time when they needed to accelerate and he controlled the back end of the innings.”
“He’s able to toss the ball up, and tactically just one step ahead of all batters. He has the ability to bowl wide and then comes in straight with the slider.”
Smith signed off by praising Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson, who finished at 48 not out off 29 balls, as the side got over the line with 41 balls to spare. “He’s got such natural ability. He’s just a natural timer.”
“When you watch these guys, it seems so easy and effortless to get the ball over the boundary. He’s such a talented cricketer. Sometimes I want to shake Sanju Samson and get more out of him. He’s another talent you think you should just go to the next level.”
–IANS