Overview:
Now, even after a hundred against South Africa, Jaiswal is set to miss out on the ODI XI against New Zealand, highlighting the ongoing inconsistency in his selection.
It’s not easy to be Yashasvi Jaiswal. The young opener finds himself caught between transitions, uncertainty, and shifting priorities. Labelled a “single-format option” despite showing the skill set of an all-format batter in the post Rohit-Kohli era, Jaiswal’s timing has often worked against him. Over the last two years, whenever India prepared for major white-ball assignments, fortune seemed to look elsewhere. In 2024, the management leaned on the experience of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma on tricky American and Caribbean surfaces, particularly in the T20 setup.
Jaiswal’s place has remained uncertain in white-ball formats. He was first included in the Champions Trophy squad, only to be dropped after the team management opted for an additional spinner in the ODI setup. In T20s, selection priorities shifted again, with Ishan Kishan preferred as a wicketkeeper-opener following a domestic hundred, despite Jaiswal scoring a century days earlier. Now, even after a hundred against South Africa, Jaiswal is set to miss out on the ODI XI against New Zealand, highlighting the ongoing inconsistency in his selection.
This time, it’s Shubman Gill’s return that pushes Jaiswal out of the XI. With his 24th birthday around the corner, the young opener has a lot of cricket left in him, but mixed selection signals call for transparency. Prolonged uncertainty is often the toughest opponent for any cricketer.
“It’s disappointing to see Yashasvi overlooked repeatedly despite doing nothing wrong. His performances across formats have been outstanding, and it’s hard to understand what more he needs to do to earn his place,” Dilip Vengsarkar told PTI.
“You simply cannot afford to exclude a proven match-winner from the side,” Vengsarkar added.
“They’re all quality cricketers, and I agree with the selectors when decisions are based on form and fitness, which are crucial factors. If I had to choose between Gill and Jaiswal, I would go with Jaiswal. He has repeatedly shown his class and consistently provides the kind of starts the team needs in modern cricket,” he mentioned.
In T20 cricket, time away comes at a cost, as rhythm and regular game time are crucial. While others continued featuring in white-ball series and remained visible to the selectors, Jaiswal drifted out of focus not because of a dip in form, but due to changes in the system’s priorities.
“When a player is made to feel unwanted in a particular format, confidence is bound to suffer. Cricket thrives on self-belief, and that belief only grows when performances are supported by runs,” Vengsarkar concluded.