Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers said he’s expecting fireworks from Rajasthan Royals batter Yashasvi Jaiswal in the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League.
RR will kick-start their IPL 2024 campaign by facing Lucknow Super Giants at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday, March 24.
Jaiswal had a breakout IPL season in 2023, finishing as the fifth-highest scorer in the competition. His IPL performances helped hi break into the Indian setup, where he has now become a regular. Since making his India debut, Jaiswal has amassed 1,028 runs in nine Test matches while averaging 68.53. He’s smashed 502 runs in 17 T20Is at a strike-rate of 161.94.
Speaking on his Youtube channel, De Villiers backed Jaiswal to score over 500-600 runs in IPL 2024. Jaiswal scored 625 runs in 14 matches, averaging 48.08 while striking at 163.61 in IPL 2023.
“There is one guy that I absolutely cannot wait to watch. That is Jaiswal. He showed in the Test format what he is capable of. Now it is time for him in T20 cricket to really show his talent. With the amount of confidence he took from that Test series (against England), to take that into this IPL, I am expecting fireworks from this guy. I am expecting at least a 500-plus season, maybe even 600-plus,” said De Villiers.
Along with Jaiswal, De Villiers also named South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs to keep an eye out, saying he can hit the ball very hard. Stubbs has only played four matches in his IPL career and was picked up by Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2024 mini-auction after spending two seasons with Mumbai Indians.
“He had a very good SA20 tournament. The year before that, he was a bit out of form, but this year, he has put up his hand and showed signs of what he’s capable of. He is a very talented young player, hits the ball very, very hard, he offers a lot with the ball in hand as well, he can bowl you off-spin, and he is absolutely incredible in the field. So, keep an eye out for him,” De Villiers added.
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will kick-start proceedings in IPL 2024 when they lock horns with Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Chepauk Stadium on Friday, March 22.