What if Yashasvi Jaiswal played for CSK instead of Rajasthan Royals?

Yashasvi Jaiswal was roped in by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for INR 2.40 crore ahead of the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Since then, he has established himself as one of the fiercest batters in world cricket.

He is an integral part of the Rajasthan team, providing them with some blistering starts at the top of the order. The Mumbai batter amassed 2166 runs in 66 matches at an average of 34.38 and a strike rate of 152.86. Yashasvi has registered 15 fifties and two centuries, including a highest score of 124 off 62 balls against the Mumbai Indians in an IPL 2023 clash at the Wankhede Stadium.

Since 2023, he has played international cricket, earning 51 caps across the three formats. He has an average of 50.83 in Tests and 36.15 in T20Is.

Now, let’s answer the following hypothetical question: What if Yashasvi Jaiswal played for CSK instead of the Rajasthan Royals?

It is important to note that CSK had a forgettable season in 2020. They finished seventh on the points table, their first time failing to reach the playoffs. CSK tried different opening combinations in the season. They started with Shane Watson and Murali Vijay at the top of the order before the latter was replaced by Faf du Plessis. By the end of the season, Ruturaj Gaikwad had made his debut, and he opened alongside both Watson and du Plessis.

Had Yashasvi been at CSK in IPL 2020, he might not have been able to break into the playing XI. However, he could have gotten his chances in IPL 2021, as Watson and Vijay didn’t play in the cash-rich league after 2020.

Yashasvi would have formed an opening pair with Gaikwad. CSK would have gotten themselves a supremely talented left-right opening combination that could serve them for many years.

Yashasvi’s approach of going hard from the outset would have helped CSK get off to some exhilarating starts, allowing the batters to follow some time to ease themselves in. Even head coach Stephen Fleming acknowledged that during IPL 2025, CSK were “grappling” with batting balance at the top.

In a champion team like CSK, Yashasvi’s failures might have been scrutinised more, but his achievements would have been valuable. The Men in Yellow, however, would have had to retain him at a high price and that would prevent them from spending huge elsewhere.

Overall, CSK would have benefited from having someone as explosive and consistent as Yashasvi in their ranks. He could have forged a legendary opening partnership with Gaikwad, getting CSK off to some fantastic starts more often than not.