- Ashwin hopes Jaiswal regains form for RR’s crucial match.
With Rajasthan Royals set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad in a crucial clash that could decide their fate in the tournament, all eyes will once again be on their opening duo — Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal. While the young pair has grabbed attention throughout the season, former Indian spinner R Ashwin has now made headlines after sharing his thoughts on the two and drawing an interesting comparison between them.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal have both played 14 matches in the tournament. However, Vaibhav has scored 583 runs, while Jaiswal has 397 runs to his side.
This season has been quite different for Jaiswal, especially as he was expected to perform strongly while making a comeback case for India’s T20 team. It is not that he has not performed, but Sooryavanshi has clearly outperformed him this season.
The hype around Sooryavanshi was not just limited to the praises and applause he has been receiving. With his performances this season, the 15-year-old opener has proved his abilities. In fact, as pointed out by R Ashwin, he has even outshined fellow opener Jaiswal.
🚨 THIS IS WHY R. ASHWIN IS A GENIUS & A TRUE CRICKET-MAN 🚨
Here he talks about what YASHASVI JAISWAL must be going through after failing to score big & having a batter like Vaibhav Suryavanshi on the other end.
It’s never easy when all the limelight is suddenly gone from you… https://t.co/XKJSlK8iBC pic.twitter.com/BsecIYRWBa
— TheFakeFakeer (@TheFakeFakeer) May 24, 2026
Ashwin Feels Slightly Let Down By Jaiswal
Ashwin said he felt slightly let down by Jaiswal’s performance this season, as his run tally has been lower compared to his previous seasons. Even though RR still have one match left against SRH, Ashwin feels the batter has missed out on several opportunities.
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In a conversation on his YouTube channel, R Ashwin said, “It is slightly underwhelming, and I am a bit surprised by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s performance in the Rajasthan Royals team. I am a little surprised because I expected a lot from him; I have high hopes. But I just have a slight inkling of a feeling that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s display has perhaps shaken Jaiswal a bit. It has rattled him.”
Comparison To Chopra And Sehwag
While speaking about how Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s rise may have impacted Yashasvi Jaiswal’s approach this season, Ashwin drew an interesting comparison with former Indian opening pair Aakash Chopra and Virender Sehwag.
Aakash Chopra made his Test debut against New Zealand in 2003 and went on to play 10 Test matches for India. Known for his calm and steady starts, Chopra often played the supporting role at the top, while Sehwag’s aggressive batting style grabbed most of the attention.
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Remembering the Border-Gavaskar Trophy when India toured Australia, Ashwin pointed out how Chopra’s contribution often went unnoticed because of the fearless manner in which Sehwag used to bat. He hinted that a somewhat similar pattern may be playing out between Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi this season.
Ashwin commented, “If you remember the opening pair of Virender Sehwag and Aakash Chopra in Test matches, Aakash Chopra used to play really well, giving good starts of 30 or 40 runs. But the sheer style and manner in which Virender Sehwag batted used to make Aakash Chopra look almost invisible. Not that he was; Aakash Chopra did a great job on that Australian tour too. But I just have a feeling that because of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fierce batting here, it has thrown Jaiswal off a little. In many games, Jaiswal got out trying to hit the ball too hard,”
He also said, “I want to see Yashasvi Jaiswal bat well because he has the ability. But this time, Rajasthan Royals’ story has been about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and on the day Jofra Archer was needed, he also stepped up. But all that said, Mumbai Indians have been very, very, very, very underwhelming this season. This score was chaseable.”
The match between RR and SRH will be played on May 27, and it will now be exciting to see how both Rajasthan Royals openers perform in this crucial clash.
