Yashasvi Jaiswal to fight Rohit Sharma for ODI opening slot ahead of 2027 WC - Report

Rohit Sharma to fight with Yashasvi Jaiswal for opener slot. (Photo: BCCI)

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been a reliable and impressive performer in Test cricket but has hardly been part of India's 50-over plans. After his debut against England in February, he has only played one match since then. India has played quite a few ODIs after which he was not selected. As a result, he has not been able to establish himself in the playing XI of the Indian team. Now that Shubman Gill is the captain of the ODI team, it means Jaiswal will be competing with Rohit Sharma for the second opener's spot.

Before the second ODI against Australia in Perth, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak talked highly of Jaiswal’s dedication and punctuality with work. He also mentioned how the young batsman tirelessly works on his weaker skills to increase his selection chances.

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Jaiswal has an excellent red-ball record, scoring multiple centuries and double hundreds, and his cricketing temperament has always been quite mature, no matter the conditions. However, he needs some work to successfully transfer the achievements to the ODI format.

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According to NDTV, the selectors expect Jaiswal to be more convincing in white-ball cricket if he is to be dominant in red-ball. He strikes at around 85.97 in 33 List A games. It is said that selectors want to see more consistency from him in the ODI format—quick scoring in powerplays, smooth running of the strike through middle overs, and solid finishing.

Currently, Jaiswal is still very much among the players who could make it to India’s ODI squad. Taking his good Test plays and notable T20 record into account, breaking into the 50-over format seems like his next step of the journey.