The Indian cricket team is gearing up for a crucial tour of New Zealand where they are scheduled to play series across all three formats. Following the announcement of the T20 squad, the Board of Control for Cricket in India officially released the squads for the ODI and Test series on the evening of October 16. According to the selection committee, Shubman Gill will lead the side for the first three ODI matches, while Shreyas Iyer will take over the captaincy for the final two ODIs. Amid several changes in the setup, opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal was left out of the ODI squad entirely, finding a place only in the two-match Test squad. This decision by the selectors has not gone down well with everyone, as veteran player Ravichandran Ashwin openly expressed his displeasure, stating clearly that treating a rising talent this way breaks their confidence.
Impact on Jaiswal Confidence and Form
Speaking on his YouTube channel after the announcement of the squads for the New Zealand series, Ravichandran Ashwin remarked that if Shubman Gill is unavailable for the last two ODI games, Yashasvi Jaiswal should have definitely been chosen to fill that spot. Calling it a deeply unfortunate decision, he warned that such calls can shatter a player morale. While acknowledging the situations surrounding players like Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, Ashwin emphasized that Yashasvi Jaiswal is simply not getting the opportunities to play regular cricket. He noted that looking at his recent batting, he does not quite exhibit the same dominant rhythm he had two or three years ago when he was a run machine. If his confidence continues to break like this, the team management and selectors must ensure he gets picked whenever possible. Keeping him completely sidelined from playing is viewed as a major mistake.
Impressive ODI Record Makes Omission Surprising
A closer look at Yashasvi Jaiswal's limited-overs record highlights a very impressive run whenever he has been handed an opportunity in the 50-over format. He delivered stellar performances during his previous ODI series played on home soil against Afghanistan, where he also managed to score a brilliant century. Across the 6 ODI matches he has played so far, Jaiswal has accumulated 285 runs at an outstanding average of 71.25, which includes two remarkable centuries under his belt. Despite these stellar numbers, ignoring him for the upcoming one-day matches has raised questions regarding the selection roadmap for young talents.
