'Making India Proud With Their Aggressive Brand of Cricket': Mohammad Kaif Delighted Watching Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif was left impressed with two young guns Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube’s power-packed batting in the second T20I against Afghanistan on Sunday.

Coming in to bat first on a flat surface in Indore, the visitors produced 172 runs, losing all wickets in 20 overs. In response, India lost an early wicket, with captain Rohit Sharma being sent off for a golden duck by Afghan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi in the very first over. Jaiswal, who opened the innings alongside Rohit, stood tall. The 22-year-old notched a quickfire half-century, registering 68 runs at a strike rate of 200. He smashed five boundaries and six maximums during his 34-ball innings.

All-rounder Shivam Dube took over the charge after Virat Kohli was dismissed for 29 in his first T20I appearance after a hiatus of over one year. Dube, who slammed a fifty in the opening T20I against Afghanistan, once again appeared at his absolute best. The Southpaw struck an unbeaten 62 off just 32 deliveries, a knock which was laced with five fours and four sixes.

Powered by Jaiswal and Dube’s blistering show, India completed the chase at ease with more than four overs to spare. After the Indore fixture was wrapped up, Mohammad Kaif showered immense praise on both youngsters through a post on X (formerly Twitter).

“Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube are making India proud with their entertaining and aggressive brand of cricket. What a delight to watch these two stylish left-handers,” Kaif wrote while sharing a glimpse of their partnership.

After his post surfaced on the microblogging platform, the comment section was soon flooded with appreciative remarks for Jaiswal and Dube. There are many fans, who feel the youngsters must earn call-ups for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, to be hosted by the USA and the West Indies in June. Some reckon both batters should improve their footwork to become more comfortable against quality fast bowlers.

Despite India securing an unassailable lead in the Afghanistan series, captain Rohit Sharma has yet to score a run in the ongoing campaign. Having contributed nothing in both games, the India opener currently has the second-most ducks in T20I cricket. Rohit has failed to open the account 12 times in 150 T20I appearances.