NEW DELHI: West Indies cricket icon
Brian Lara
heaped praise on
Yashasvi Jaiswal
for his composed innings against Mumbai Indians in the
IPL 2024
, underscoring the youngster's maturity in balancing time-taking shots with maintaining a high strike rate.
Lara praised Jaiswal's execution of cricketing shots. "Yeah, beautiful. But the matter of the fact is that he's taking his time, looking at the ball right from up at the back and he's playing cricketing shots.
He's got all the stuff, he doesn't have to worry about it," the former batsman said on Star Sports Cricket Live.
"And when you do get on top of the bowlers, that's when you take it back, because that's what I love about Yashasvi. It was well put together, great cricketing shots, he's managed throughout the innings, and anyone knows, if you're chasing such a good total at Jaipur and you bounce through the innings, you're soon going to get there. So he's shown a lot of responsibility, a lot of maturity, and I'm very happy to have him back," added Lara.
Jaiswal's unbeaten 104 off 60 deliveries, comprising nine fours and seven sixes, showcased his prowess with powerful shots and crisp drives. Lara noted Jaiswal's ability to dominate bowlers while exhibiting responsible batting, crucial for chasing a challenging total at Jaipur.
Rajasthan Royals' medium-pacer
Sandeep Sharma
stole the show with a remarkable 5-wicket haul, hailed by Lara as a significant impact. Despite going unsold two years ago, Sharma's resurgence as a replacement player for Prasidh Krishna demonstrates his professionalism and commitment to repaying the team's faith.
Lara praised Sharma's consistency and effectiveness, highlighting his invaluable contribution to the team's success. Despite not being an express-paced bowler, Sharma's reliability and professionalism make him a valuable asset for any team.
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"I've watched him over the years, he's not express-paced, he's not, you know, one of the boys that, you know, everyone talks about, but he gets the job done every time he goes out in the middle, and he's just that consummate professional that every team likes to have in their ranks," Lara stated.
Rajasthan Royals' victory solidified their top spot in the IPL standings, inching closer to the playoffs.
(Inputs from PTI)