New Delhi: Yashasvi Jaiswal has not looked back since making his Test debut in July 2023. In such a short duration, Jaiswal has cemented his spot as India’s Test opener owing to his consistent performances. The 22-year-old opener has made a huge impact in the current World Test Championship cycle, leading the list of six hitters and breathing down the neck of England’s Joe Root, who leads the run-scoring chart.
Jaiswal has been prolific this calendar year. Following the twin half-centuries in the Kanpur Test, Jaiswal broke a 53-year-old record of Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar. He has amassed 929 Test runs in 2024 which is the most by an India batter in a calendar year before turning 23, surpassing Gavaskar’s mark of 918 in 1971.
Jaiswal, who was declared the Player of the Match, also became only the second Indian after Virender Sehwag to score half-centuries in both innings with a strike rate of over 100.
While there are plenty more stats to back Jaiswal’s brilliance, one stands out the most. A batter who can shift gears with ease, Jaiswal hit three maximums in the Kanpur Test during his knocks of 72 and 51 to stretch his lead at the top of most sixes list in the current WTC cycle.
Courtesy of Jaiswal’s Player of the Match performance, India registered a miraculous victory in Kanpur despite the loss of 235 overs of play to whitewash the visitors 2-0 and notch a record-extending 18th successive series win at home.
India’s new ‘Sixer King’
With 32 maximums, Jaiswal is miles ahead of second-placed Ben Stokes, who has hit 22 sixes so far. These incredible numbers suggest India have found their new ‘Sixer King’ who can carry the coveted title long held by swashbuckling batter Yuvraj Singh.
Jaiswal’s incredible onslaught against England in Rajkot earlier this year when he equalled the world record held by Wasim Akram for the most number of sixes (12) made a big contribution to his remarkable six-hitting stats in the 2023-25 WTC cycle. Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis is in the third spot with 19 maximums followed by Rohit Sharma (17), Shubman Gill and Glenn Phillips at 16 each.
A thundering Yashasvi Jaiswal sits atop of the six-hitters list in the current #WTC25 cycle 🏏
More 👉 https://t.co/fEtGlniBn4 pic.twitter.com/GPahX6vtNP
— ICC (@ICC) October 2, 2024
During the home series against England, which India won 3-1, Jaiswal scored double centuries in two consecutive test matches and became the third Indian batter to achieve the elusive feat after Vinod Kambli and Virat Kohli. He also became the second Indian after Sunil Gavaskar to score 700 or more runs in a Test series.
An opening batter who can shift gears with ease, Yashasvi Jaiswal hit three maximums in the Kanpur Test to stretch his lead at the top of most sixes list in the current WTC cycle. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
