Is in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal a worthwhile option as opener for India in Champions Trophy? | Cricket News
Before Yashasvi Jaiswal took the Test circuit storm within two years of his debut, he had given ample evidence of his prowess in the white-ball formats.At 17, the left-hander made his L A debut in September 2019 against Bangladesh U-23. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy a month later, he got down to making headlines instantly. Jaiswal finished the tournament with 564 runs in six innings with a fifty and three centuries, including a career-best 203, making him the youngest to hit a L A double hundred.
Five years on, the southpaw’s T20 and red-ball profiles have progressed rapid miles – 3,000 T20 runs at a 150.23 strike rate and 3,682 First-Class runs at 62.40. After the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, his Test aggregate reads 1,798 runs in 36 innings. Only Virender Sehwag and Cheteshwar Pujara have had better starts for India in Test cricket.
Eluding ODI cap
With the Champions Trophy only a month away, the focus will soon shift to India’s readiness for the 50-over format. Hope will float that the woeful red-ball form of the top order will not spill over into their white-ball game. That would mean that captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, despite their wretched Australia tour, will pair up as India’s ODI openers for another ICC championship after the 2023 World Cup. But in Jaiswal selectors and team management have a viable option.
Intriguingly, Jaiswal who has emerged as India’s best long-format promise, has yet to attain an ODI cap and hasn’t played a L A game since November 2022.
L A record
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Inns
Runs
HS
Ave
SR
100s
50s
Overall (2019-22)
32
1511
203
53.96
86.19
5
7
At No. 3 (2019-21)
3
129
54
41
73.71
–
1
On the face of it, Jaiswal is more than equipped to take guard should an opportunity arise in India’s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 19. But with Rohit and Gill having a good 50-over record at the top, will the selectors opt for a brave call?
The 2023 ODI World Cup would have been a tough initiation for Jaiswal only months into his international career. Moreover, India’s back-up left-hander had to be a wicketkeeper in Rishabh Pant’s absence.
But the 23-year-old’s maturity and range are adequate to warrant a spot in the squad and beyond now. It will be unfair on India’s most in-form batter to sit out of the Champions Trophy, but it is equally difficult to find room for Jaiswal in the batting order.
In only 25 ODIs together, Rohit and Gill have put on 1,732 runs averaging 72.16, setting up a 50-plus stand on 16 of those occasions. Gill complements Rohit with a 58.20 average and 101.74 strike rate after 48 appearances.
There is an opportunity to test both Gill and Jaiswal in the three ODIs against England in early February, but the latter’s nous in defence and strokeplay was evident in his performances on the Australia tour.
In contrast, Gill could begin to feel the heat if he slips up in the first two ODIs against England in Nagpur and Cuttack, shortly after he realised that he is not an indispensable No.3 for India in Tests.
Highlights of last time Yashasvi Jaiswal played in ODI format (U-19) where he scored 400+ runs at avg of 133 highest recorded in tournament hory.ODI always been his ready to go format hope he gets his debut soon 🙌pic.twitter.com/fvdQ2I9uNR
— R (@Jais_era) January 7, 2025
A clearer picture may emerge with the BCCI’s vice-captaincy pick for the Champions Trophy. While Gill was named deputy to Rohit for the three ODIs in Sri Lanka last year, there is no guarantee he will hold on to the tag for the ICC event. If Gill is relieved of the role, there is space for a hard but valid argument that Jaiswal is a worthy contender to open alongside Rohit straightaway in Dubai.
India’s rigid combination
The only other case where India can attempt to bring in Jaiswal is to break the potential rigidity of their right-hand-heavy top 6. Experiments were conducted during the Sri Lanka tour last July with left-handed all-rounders Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel acting as floaters.
But when a full-strength ODI side assembles, the line-up would likely read Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya at Nos 3-6, behind the right-handed pair of Rohit and Gill.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill average over 72 as an ODI opening pair after 25 matches. (AP)
Barring Pandya, neither Iyer nor Rahul can afford to bat lower than their exing spots in instances where a floater moves up in the order, a template head coach Gautam Gambhir fancied during each of the three ODIs he was in charge. India lost 27 of their 30 wickets to tweakers during their first series defeat in Sri Lanka in 27 years, with one or two left-handers occasionally drafted in ahead of Iyer and Rahul at Nos.4-5.
In such a scenario, Jaiswal’s inclusion could then be ensured at Iyer’s expense to break the all-right-handed top six with Kohli holding fort at 3 and Rahul donning the wicket-keeper’s gloves.
India’s abject performance against spin in Sri Lanka will also be in the minds of the think tank. While other teams will play on belters in Pakan, India’s strategy will have adapted to the potentially tacky Dubai pitches. Of the 48 grounds that have hosted at least five ODIs since 2020, the batting strike rate in Dubai is 67.05, ranking 47th on the charts.
Jaiswal’s left-handedness and several batting gears will then hold more value than merely filling in as the back-up opener in the 15-member squad.
Discover the Benefits of Our Subscription!
Stay informed with access to our award-winning journalism.
Avoid misinformation with trusted, accurate reporting.
Make smarter decisions with insights that matter.
Choose your subscription package
