New Delhi: The last time Yashasvi Jaiswal played an ODI for India, he scored a match-winning 116 not out against South Africa. It was only his fourth match in the format, and he was playing because captain Shubman Gill was unfit. When Gill returned, Jaiswal returned to the bench and is now out of the squad for the three-ODI series against Afghanistan, starting June 13.Jaiswal’s omission from the ODI squad has hardly created any noise, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar subtly mentioned him when asked about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has done well, but let’s not forget Yashasvi Jaiswal. As impressive as he is, Jaiswal has done well too,” Agarkar said.Agarkar mentioned Jaiswal during his media interaction before this instance as well. But then the question arises: why was he not picked for the India A side that will face Sri Lanka A under Tilak Varma’s captaincy? If Jaiswal was unfortunate to miss the senior squad, he should at least have been part of the India A setup to stay white-ball ready when the opportunity arises.“He should have been picked for the India A squad. It is unfortunate. With Rohit (Sharma) and Shubman (Gill) there, you understand that he may not get game time, but he should have gone to Sri Lanka instead of sitting at home,” former India chief selector MSK Prasad told TimesofIndia.com.Prasad maintained that Jaiswal is a rare all-format cricketer and believes he will eventually get his due in ODIs.“He is too good a player to miss out on any format. He should not treat this as a disappointment. These things happen in cricket. When I was chairman of selectors, we could not find a place for Shreyas Iyer despite him doing extraordinarily well in domestic cricket. Jaiswal is already a tough boy, and this will only make him tougher,” Prasad said.Jaiswal’s last ODI appearance came nearly five months ago. After the Afghanistan series, India will play a three-match ODI series against England in July, and with Ishan Kishan returning as the second wicketkeeper and a backup opener, no one knows when Jaiswal’s wait in white-ball cricket for India will end.Notably, the last of his 23 T20I appearances came around 22 months ago. After the Adelaide debacle in the semifinal of the 2022 T20 World Cup, one of the significant changes in India’s T20 batting was their aggressive approach in the powerplay, and Jaiswal was central to that shift. His T20I strike rate stands at 164.31.He transformed India’s batting philosophy in T20Is, batting in top gear from the very first over instead of waiting until the final five overs to accelerate, which had long been India’s template.With Rohit Sharma focusing on ODIs ahead of the 2023 World Cup and on Test cricket, Jaiswal flourished in T20Is. But to accommodate Rohit and Virat at top of the order for the 2024 T20 World Cup, Jaiswal sat out the entire tournament. Thereafter, under Gautam Gambhir’s tenure, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson moved ahead of him in the pecking order.It is not as if Jaiswal’s strike rate, intent, or IPL performances have dipped compared to Abhishek or Samson, but he has gradually drifted into the wilderness in T20Is. His last T20I appearance for India came on July 30, 2024, against Sri Lanka.TimesofIndia.com understands that the Indian team management wants to inject left-handers into the mix. This approach worked effectively in the T20Is and during India’s Champions Trophy triumph last year, when Axar Patel was used as a floater at No. 5.
Should Yashasvi Jaiswal have been included in the India A squad for the series against Sri Lanka A?
The sample size of Jaiswal’s ODI career may still be small when compared to the stalwarts, but he certainly possesses the impact, X-factor, and range required for India’s future. He has already established himself as a Test opener with runs across conditions and continents.At 24, Jaiswal should be viewed as India’s present rather than merely the future. In the coming months, India must find a place for him in the ODI setup, and give him a long rope before the 2027 ODI World Cup even if it comes at the expense of the great Rohit Sharma, who perhaps would not mind one of his “garden mein ghoomne wala ladka” carrying the baton forward at the top.
