Young opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal has been omitted from India's 15-man One-Day International squad for the upcoming tour of England despite a spectacular run of form. The Board of Control for Cricket in India finalized the touring party on Sunday, confirming that senior heavyweights Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will lead the top order, effectively squeezing out the in-form teenage prodigy.
The controversial omission comes less than 24 hours after Jaiswal hammered a magnificent, unbeaten 110 runs off just 86 balls during the third ODI against Afghanistan in Chennai. His explosive innings, featuring 14 boundaries and three sixes, anchored a clinical nine-wicket victory to seal a flawless 3-0 series sweep under captain Shubman Gill.
Partnering Rohit Sharma at the top, Jaiswal shared a flawless 170-run opening stand. While the veteran skipper compiled a solid 79 before his dismissal, it was the younger left-hander who dictated terms and drew immense praise from analysts.
Analyzing the tactical dynamics on JioHotstar, veteran batsman Cheteshwar Pujara explicitly noted that the incredible form of the younger opener has introduced visible selection pressure for the senior leadership.
"There was an expectation from him to score runs because the team management backed him by keeping him a part of the playing XI in this match. He proved why the team management showed confidence in him. He brought improvement in the shot he got out to in the previous match. His style looks different once he gets set,” Pujara stated on JioHotstar.
Pujara elaborated that while both openers excelled in Chennai, the relentless consistency of youth naturally forces senior icons to remain entirely on guard to protect their international spots.
"There is no comparison between Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi because Rohit also scored runs today (Saturday). However, any senior player feels the pressure, and he is creating slight pressure on Rohit Sharma. It's healthy competition for the Indian team. Rohit and Virat (Kohli) are great players, and they aren't compared with any young player, but this team is preparing replacements for the future," Pujara added.
Former international spinner Piyush Chawla also commended Jaiswal for modifying his batting template after a cheap dismissal via a cut shot in the previous match of the series.
"He needed to play such a knock because Shubman Gill himself went to No. 3 to give Yashasvi Jaiswal a chance to open. He got out while trying to cut in the previous match. Whenever he played the cut today, he rolled his wrists and kept the ball down. It shows his mentality that he had to score big runs," Chawla stated on the broadcast.
Despite hitting two centuries in his last three ODI innings and accumulating immense pressure on the veteran opener, Jaiswal was ultimately dropped because of a standard selection hierarchy.
A BCCI source privy to selection matters confirmed to PTI that with Virat Kohli returning to take over his designated No. 3 position, captain Shubman Gill will shift back to open alongside Rohit Sharma for the three-match away series starting July 14.
