Former India cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has raised pointed questions about how many chances 24-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal will realistically get in the upcoming three-match ODI series against West Indies, which begins on September 27, 2026, at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
Jaiswal has returned to India’s ODI squad for the West Indies series after missing the away tour of England. Despite his return, Chopra was direct about the structural challenge facing the young left-hander.
“How many white-ball matches will Yashasvi Jaiswal get? He won’t get many opportunities. Although he seems like a tempting option, for him to be in the playing XI, Shubman Gill will have to play out of position. What are we trying to achieve? The Indian team will have to ask themselves that. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill also need to open together for a long period of time,” Chopra said, speaking on his YouTube channel.
Why does Jaiswal face a squeeze at the top of the order?
India’s ODI squad for the West Indies series includes both Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, who is also the captain, as the established opening combination. With both players expected to open the batting, Jaiswal has no clear route into the playing XI without one of them moving out of their natural position.
Chopra elaborated further on this structural problem, noting that the limited number of ODIs available makes the situation even more difficult for Jaiswal to accumulate game time at the international level.
“Yes, you wish to prepare Yashasvi Jaiswal and keep him ready as the third opener. But is he going to be there? Will you be able to give him chances? There are not many ODIs, and he is not getting a place in the T20I side as it is. So then, how will it work? When there are limited ODIs, Rohit Sharma will play for sure, and so will Shubman Gill. So how will Yashasvi Jaiswal open? This is an unfortunate fact,” Chopra added.
What does Jaiswal’s ODI record show ahead of the series?
Jaiswal’s ODI numbers make his exclusion from the playing XI a difficult call for selectors on purely statistical grounds. In six ODI appearances, he has scored 285 runs at an average of 71.25 and a strike rate of 97.60, figures that place him among the more productive batters in the format at this stage of his career.
His most recent ODI outing came on June 17, 2026, against Afghanistan, where he scored an unbeaten 110 off 86 deliveries in the series finale. That innings was his second ODI century, having previously scored one against South Africa. Despite that performance, Jaiswal was not selected for the subsequent England tour, making his return to the squad for the West Indies series notable.
