"I am thinking whether Yashasvi's time has not come in white-ball cricket" - Aakash Chopra on Yashasvi Jaiswal's omission for IND vs ENG 2025 T20Is

Aakash Chopra has questioned Yashasvi Jaiswal's non-selection in India's squad for the upcoming T20I series against England. He wondered whether it was not the right time for the left-handed opener to be given a run in white-ball cricket.

India will square off against England in a five-match T20I series, with the first game to be played in Kolkata on January 22. While Jaiswal has been ignored, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma are the two openers selected in India's 15-member squad for the series.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener questioned whether Jaiswal shouldn't feature in the Men in Blue's limited-overs lineups.

"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," he said (10:15).

While acknowledging that Jaiswal might be included in India's squad for the ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy, Chopra opined that Shubman Gill will likely play ahead of him in the XI.

"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," Chopra observed.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has smashed 723 runs at a strike rate of 164.31 in 22 T20I innings, hasn't yet played an ODI. It remains to be seen if he is picked in India's squad for the three ODIs against England and the subsequent Champions Trophy.

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"There would have been a toss-up between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhishek Sharma" - Aakash Chopra

Abhishek Sharma has aggregated 256 runs at an average of 23.27 in 11 T20I innings. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhishek Sharma might have been in contention for the second opener's position.

"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," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that Jaiswal could have opened with Sanju Samson and Abhishek could have been part of the squad.

"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," Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra noted that it wouldn't have been an injustice to Abhishek Sharma as he hasn't made the most of the opportunities he has got apart from a blazing 100-run knock against Zimbabwe. He concluded by saying he was slightly surprised Yashasvi Jaiswal wasn't picked.