Even as much of the attention remains on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s future has become a growing talking point. Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh said his bigger concern is the young opener, who continues to wait for opportunities despite scoring two centuries in his last three ODI innings.
Speaking on “JioStar,” Yuvraj emphasized the importance of having open lines of communication on Rohit and Kohli’s future with the team management. Then, if the objective is to have them in the ODI World Cup in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe next year, he asked the Indian think tank to “back them all the way.”
“More than Virat and Rohit, my concern is that Yashasvi Jaiswal is not starting. If the World Cup comes and he hasn’t had enough game time, he’s suddenly going to feel the pressure,” PTI quoted Yuvraj telling ‘JioStar’.
With a brilliant 110-ball 138 against England in the third ODI at Lord’s, Rohit put an end to rumors that he was retiring. Kohli too appeared to be in good form with consecutive fifties in the three-match series that India lost 1-2 on Sunday.
“You need to have that clarity from the coach, captain and selectors, whoever it is,” said the 2011 World Cup winning star all-rounder.
“I have been in that position, which Rohit and Virat find themselves in. So, it’s not fair for us to judge whether they should play. It’s the team management, the coach and the selectors who have to decide that.
“If you want them to play the World Cup, you have to put your hand on their shoulders and tell them, ‘Guys, we want you to play the World Cup. We are backing you all the way. Go out there and be yourselves. There is no stress that tomorrow, if you don’t have a good series, that you’re not going to be in the team.’”
When the World Cup takes place in South Africa from October 4 to November 21 of next year, Kohli will be 39 and Rohit will be over 40.
Although there hasn’t been much conjecture on Kohli’s future, reports before the third ODI hinted that it would be Rohit’s last game in the format until BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia refuted the rumors.
Regardless of whether they are still part of the team’s objectives, Yuvraj stated that the management owes its older players a clear roadmap.
“Ideally, you need a balance of experience and young guys in the team. If Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are part of your plans for the World Cup, tell them now and secure them.
“The outside noise about age and form will always be there, but the management must have clarity with its senior players. And if someone isn’t in your plans, be honest with them. It will be a hard call, it might look bad on the outside, but they’ll appreciate that you said it to their face.
Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal who scored an undefeated century against Afghanistan in Chennai last month but was left out of the England ODI series, was another issue raised by the flamboyant former all-rounder. In his last three innings in the ODI format, the left-hander has scored two hundreds.
“Somewhere down the line, he needs more game time before the World Cup if he is in the plans. If someone gets injured, then what do you do? “We’ve seen that happen before. In the 2019 World Cup, an injury meant two young players came in without enough experience. You don’t want to make the same mistakes of the past.”
India’s white-ball tour of the UK ended disappointingly, as they lost the ODI series 1-2 to England after losing the T20I series against England (0-4) and Ireland (0-2).
Describing the team in a transition, Yuvraj said: “We need to understand it and accept the criticism. At the same time, people shouldn’t forget what this Indian team has achieved over the last couple of years, winning three major titles.
“The team is in transition, new players are coming in, and phases like these are bound to happen. Now it’s time to rethink and bounce back,” he signed off.
India’s next ODI assignment is a three-match series against the West Indies at home in September.
