Former India and Chennai Super Kings batter Ambati Rayudu has urged Yashasvi Jaiswal to leave the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for a change in environment. This
comes after the left-handed batter’s opening partner, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, mesmerised the New Chandigarh crowd by scoring a 29-ball 97 in Qualifier 1 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Rayudu wants Jaiswal to join a different franchise to get out of the shadow of Sooryavanshi. The former player-turned-expert believes that the 24-year-old is a star capable of winning games in his own right, instead of playing a support role to Sooryavanshi.
After suggesting that Jaiswal should leave RR for pastures new, the obvious next question posed to Rayudu was which franchise the Indian batter should go to, to which he suggested the Mumbai Indians.
“He needs to change his team. Because he cannot just bat with the guy and be overshadowed every single time. He’s a star in his own right. If he goes to another team, he will win matches on his own. He needs that space and that platform. Because this guy will keep overshadowing people, it has to be a senior partner alongside him who can deal with it and be happy for him. Be happy for what is happening and not compete with the non-striker. Mumbai Indians is a good team for Jaiswal,” Ambati Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo.
Rayudu’s suggestion of Jaiswal joining MI makes sense on paper. With Rohit Sharma turning 40 next year, the Mumbai-based franchise will be in search of an opener who could replace their former captain for the long haul. The five-time champions also had a dismal 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign, finishing ninth in the standings with eight points.
It is worth mentioning that Jaiswal has enjoyed a decent season, having scored 426 runs at an average of 32.76 whilst striking at 153.23. However, his opening partner in Sooryavanshiis currently leading the Orange Cap leaderboard with 680 runs to his name at an outstanding strike-rate of 242.85.
