Yashasvi Jaiswal has already made his mark in Test cricket with his aggressive batting, yet the door to India's ODI side keeps swinging open and shut for him. The talent isn't in question — the trouble is that the two opening chairs are already taken, leaving him waiting his turn. Former India opener Virender Sehwag has now spoken candidly about exactly why that is.
In the side by circumstance, not pushed out by form
Jaiswal earned his latest ODI call-up only after Virat Kohli was ruled out of the series against Afghanistan with an injury, forcing the selectors to look for a replacement. According to Sehwag, the fact that Jaiswal keeps moving in and out of the squad has nothing to do with his ability — it's simply that there is no vacancy at the top of the order.
Sehwag is convinced Jaiswal has the game to excel across all three formats. The only obstacle is that Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill have nailed down the opening positions so firmly that there is no room for a third man right now. Jaiswal gets the bat in hand only when one of those two senior players is unavailable.
Every chance taken with both hands
Sehwag stressed that Jaiswal has never been dropped for failing — in the handful of ODI opportunities he has received, he has proved his worth. The standout example is his unbeaten knock against South Africa in Visakhapatnam, where he remained not out on 116 off 121 balls.
Speaking on the Cricbuzz show, Sehwag said, “There's no place right now. Shubman Gill is the captain. Rohit Sharma is playing. The moment Rohit Sharma retires, you'll see Jaiswal playing white-ball and ODI cricket. Ruturaj Gaikwad could be his rival. If you pick three openers, Jaiswal will surely be among them.”
Making his point clearer, he added, “Look, he has come into the ODI team only when Gill or Sharma weren't available. It's not that he got a chance and didn't perform. Whenever he got a chance, he performed very well. It's not that he was dropped after a poor show. He was in the team because nobody else was playing.”
Not just Jaiswal — another name in the queue
Sehwag also brought up another player worth remembering. In his view, Ishan Kishan is currently out of the ODI picture too, even though he holds the record for the fastest double century in ODI cricket. Sehwag counted him as a genuine contender as well.
Wrapping up, Sehwag laid out his wish: “I'd like to see Jaiswal in ODIs and T20s — that is, across all three formats. He's the kind of player who can play in all three formats.” In short, Sehwag believes Jaiswal's real run will begin only once a spot opens up at the top — and that day is likely to arrive when Rohit Sharma retires.
