The 15-member squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against England was released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India on January 11, 2025. Most of the squad was as expected, with a couple of surprise inclusions. Southpaws, Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, were nowhere to be seen in the 15-member squad.
Former cricketer-turned-commentator, Aakash Chopra, pondered why Jaiswal wasn’t drafted to the T20I squad. He, however, predicted the youngster’s name to be in the ODI squad.
“Yashasvi’s name is not there, and I am thinking aloud. I am thinking whether Yashasvi’s time has not come in white-ball cricket. It’s been spoken about that his name might come in the Champions Trophy team. Firstly, his name might come for the three-match ODI series (vs England), which I feel it will. He will come in place of SKY (Suryakumar Yadav), if we compare the team with the (2023 ODI) World Cup,” shared Chopra in a video on his YouTube channel.
Read Here: India announce squad for T20I series against England
However, he forecasted Jaiswal to warm the bench due to the team management wanting to go ahead with the duo of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.
“However, you will not play him there as well. Shubman Gill will only open with Rohit (Sharma), which is right as well, because Shubman Gill hasn’t done anything wrong. Only three matches will be there and Shubman is a mighty player, so I feel he will score runs as well. So, Yashasvi will remain on the bench,” reasoned Chopra.
Abhishek could’ve been kept in the team but Yashasvi could’ve got a chance: Chopra
Speaking on the same topic, Chopra suggested that Jaiswal could have been selected even if Abhishek Sharma was shortlisted for the T20Is. He argued that Abhishek hasn’t definitively cemented his position at the top of the order in T20Is.
“If you are saying you want to give him a break and a rest, he is a batter. So, in such a scenario, you could have kept Yashasvi here. There would have been a toss-up between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhishek Sharma. Abhishek Sharma hasn’t cemented his place as much as Sanju Samson. Both got seven chances. One (Samson) scored three centuries and he (Abhishek) played one good innings, but apart from that, it wasn’t that good. He couldn’t back up what he did in Zimbabwe. So, Abhishek could have been kept in the team but Yashasvi could have got a chance to play,” he observed.
The five T20Is between India and England will be followed up by a three-match ODI series. Jaiswal’s inclusion in the ODI squad could prove to be a fair indicator on his Champions Trophy 2025 chances.
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