Why Yashasvi Jaiswal Is Easily India's Best Left-Handed Batter?

Probuddha Bhattacharjee∙ Updated: Oct 3 2024, 11:53 AM | 4 Min Read

Sourav Ganguly, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuvraj Singh [Source: @Rishit_264,@PBTheBanglaBoy,@omegascarwitch/x.com]

India cricket has been blessed with some of the greatest batters in the game's history. Over the years, the legacy of Indian batting has passed from Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli. The nation has been lucky that by the end of one great's career, the next generation has started showing the promise of carrying the baton. 

Among the great batters that have graced the game, there have been some left-handed superstars. When it comes to the greatest left-handed batters that the nation has produced, a few names come to mind - Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Gautam Gambhir. The current Indian cricketing scenario is witnessing the rise of another talented left-handed batter, Yashasvi Jaiswal. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal's journey so far 

The young Indian batter had a breakthrough season in IPL 2023. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 625 runs in the tournament in 15 matches at an average of 48.08 and a strike rate of 163.61. This brilliant show earned him an India team call-up, and so far, he has successfully translated his IPL performance into the international arena. 

In 11 Test matches, Jaiswal has scored 1,217 runs at an average of 64.05 with three centuries and seven half-centuries. In the T20Is, Jaiswal scored 723 runs in 23 matches at a strike rate of 164.31, with an average of 36.15. The young opener is yet to make his ODI debut. Although he has yet to play ODIs, his international numbers give us an idea about the versatility and range of Jasiwal's game. 

Let us see where Jaiswal's start puts him compared to the two greatest left-handed batters of Indian Cricket, Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Sourav Ganguly

The former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly made his way into India cricket when it was going through a dark time. The whole responsibility of the Indian batting at that time was on the shoulders of Sachin Tendulkar. At this stage, Ganguly started adding stability and solidity to the Indian batting line-up. 

Sourav Ganguly in debut Test [Source: talksports45/x.com]

Ganguly's strength—Sourav Ganguly had a great off-side game and possessed a great game sense. He was able to adapt to the situation of the match and bat accordingly. His average of 42.17 in Test cricket and 41.02 in ODIs shows the level of consistency he maintained. 

Where Jaiswal is ahead of Ganguly?

Jaiswal has also shown consistency. However, the young batter has so far shown that he can evolve his game and adapt better than the former. Sourav Ganguly's game stuck in a particular style, and his strike rate of just 107.00 in T20 cricket shows that he failed to evolve his game to the fastest format. Yes, the game was much slower then, but players from the conventional era of cricket, like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, had scored at rates of over 110. The range and adaptability across formats probably put Jaiswal ahead.

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Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh was full of natural talent. His shot-making and ability to perform in big matches and under pressure made him a special player. Yuvraj Singh had an average of 36.55 in ODIs and a strike rate of over 135 in the T20Is. Besides the numbers, it was the stages where the man performed that made him special.

Yuvraj Singh [Source: @LucknowIPL/x.com]

Yuvraj Singh's strengths—The veteran Indian left-hander has a knack for thriving under pressure. He has played the best knocks of his life under pressure, in big matches or when India was in trouble. Besides, Yuvi's shot-making ability and lazy elegance make him one of the best left-handed batters in the history of the game. 

Where Jaiswal is ahead of Yuvraj?

While Yuvraj was a prized possession for Indian cricket in the limited-overs format, he failed to translate this performance into the purest format of the game. Yashasvi has so far shown that he can play the Test as well as the T20s. So, his versatility seems to keep Jaiswal ahead. 

Conclusion: The seeds of a great cricketer

Yashasvi Jaiswal's career is still in the neonatal stage. He has a lot of distance to cover and a lot of contributions to make to Indian cricket before his name can be taken in the same breath as the greats like Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh. However, so far, Yasashvi Jaiswal has shown a lot of promise and potential. If appropriately groomed and given the right chances, Jaiswal can become the greatest left-handed batter of India or even World cricket.

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