IPL 2023: Sehwag likens Jaiswal to Kohli for ability to convert starts into big scores

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Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag has likened Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal's ability to convert starts into big scores to chase-master and Royal Challengers Bangalore star batter Virat Kohli.

Young and dynamic India batter Jaiswal will be once again the cynosure of all eyes as he arrives at the batting-friendly track in Himachal Pradesh to face Punjab Kings.

The left-handed opener - who is third in the Orange Cap leaderboard - will look to breach the 600-run mark in the season. He has so far scored 4 fifties and a hundred for 575 runs in 13 innings. One of his fifties was an unbeaten 90 plus score in a run chase.

Former India opener Sehwag has lauded the young Mumbaikar for taking a leaf out of legendary Kohli's book as he looks to convert the fifties into hundreds whenever he gets the chance.

"Yashasvi Jaiswal is a future star. He's learnt the art of converting 50s into 100s from Virat Kohli. Several batters throw their wickets after scoring 13-ball 50 but Yashasvi looks to build on. He's got that temperament to play big knocks," Sehwag said on Star Sports' Cricket Live.

The Race to Playoffs in TATA IPL 2023 continues to get interesting as teams are making every possible effort to keep themselves in the hunt.

With an aim to keep their outside chances of making it to the playoffs in the Toughest T20 league, Punjab Kings host Rajasthan Royals at their second home ground in Dharamsala.

The Shikhar Dhawan-led PBKS lost to Delhi Capitals in the previous game at the same venue while RR are also coming on the back of a morale-sapping 112-run defeat against RCB at their home.

Playing their last league game of the competition, both Punjab and Rajasthan will be aiming to bounce back and finish their campaign on a positive note even if it is their last match of the season.

Another young talent in the match will be Punjab Kings' all-rounder Sam Curran - who also happens to be the most expensive player of IPL 2023.

The England all-rounder has been at the receiving end of the fans for not being able to justify his price tag, but former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif downplayed the 'price tag criticism' and said PBKS find themselves in such a position in the points table due to their poor strategy.

"Judging a player's performance on his price tag isn't correct. Sam Curran emerged as the costliest buy because of his performances in international cricket," Kaif said.

"But the problem with Punjab is that they are keeping a tested and proven bowler like Kagiso Rabada was made to sit in the dugout for the most part of the tournament."

Rajasthan Royals' star spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, meanwhile, will be aiming to put himself at the top of the Purple Cap leaderboard in this game. Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has hailed the senior India wrist-spinner as a master of slow bowling.

"Chahal's speciality is that he bowls like an original spinner. He has a different art. He is the master of variation. He's different from the rest of the spinners because he makes good use of the crease and is also a master of slow bowling," Harbhajan said on Star Sports studio.

"It becomes more difficult to play him in the last five overs because he bowls very wide. Chahal is a brave bowler, a champion bowler."