Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has urged Yashasvi Jaiswal to score 700 runs in the upcoming IPL 2026. Jaiswal has been an integral part of the Test team but he has failed to get regular opportunities in the white-ball formats.
The southpaw recently scored a fine century in the third ODI against South Africa after Shubman Gill was ruled out with a neck injury. Jaiswal was India’s backup opener in the 2024 T20 World Cup, but failed to make it to the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Jaiswal scored 559 runs in 14 matches for Rajasthan Royals at an average of 43 and a strike rate of 159.71 in IPL 2025.
“Yashasvi, I have a request for you. I want you to have a 700-run IPL season. Every year, I think it would be like that for you. You are having 400 to 450-run seasons, but that’s not good enough. Not for you, not for your standard,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“I need a 700-run season so that you break the door and go in. That’s what I expect from him. That’s what I want from him. So Yashasvi should actually become a three-format player sooner than later,” he added.
Chopra highlighted that Jaiswal not been part of India’s squad across all format, goes to show the depth in Indian cricket.
“It’s surprising. It just tells you how much depth there is in India because you are unable to play Yashasvi in all three formats. He is going after scoring an ODI century and will sit out when the match happens now. So that is a reality,” he said.
The former Delhi cricketer said Jaiswal is currently not in the scheme of things in the T20I team.
“He is not even coming close in T20Is. He is at least in the team in ODIs, but is not in the T20I team. However, it is going to change after the World Cup. I felt it would change before that, but it doesn’t seem like that now. It will change after that and then he should become a three-format player,” Chopra observed.
Jaiswal would look to have a big season for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026.
