'Wouldn't have dropped Yashasvi Jaiswal': Vengsarkar slams repeated selection snub

At the press conference to announce the Indian squad for next year’s T20 World Cup, chief selector Ajit Agarkar expressed surprise that none of the reporters asked about Yashasvi Jaiswal’s omission. While the dropping of Shubman Gill hogged the limelight, the young opener was overlooked in favour of regular openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan as backup.

Despite showing all the signs of being a star player in every format, he finds himself in a tough spot within Indian cricket. It seems he's being labelled a Test match specialist, even though his talent clearly extends to the fast-paced white-ball game.

During the 2024 T20 World Cup, the selectors valued the experience of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma on difficult pitches more than his explosive form. A few months later, for the 50-over Champions Trophy, he was initially included in the squad but was dropped to make room for a fourth spinner at coach Gautam Gambhir's request.

The selection logic has been hard to follow. When Gill was left out of the T20 team, the selectors decided they needed a backup wicketkeeper who could also open the batting. This led to Kishan's selection after his stellar show in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. However, this decision overlooked the fact that Jaiswal had also scored a brilliant hundred just days earlier.

Soon, Jaiswal will likely be on the sidelines again. Despite scoring a century in his last ODI for India against South Africa, he is expected to be replaced by the team's regular captain, Shubman Gill, in the upcoming series against New Zealand starting January 11. At just 24, Jaiswal has a long career ahead, but repeated setbacks like these can shake a player's confidence.

Former chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar, widely respected for his eye for talent, finds the situation baffling. "It is unfortunate that Yashasvi is being left out time and again for no fault of his," he told PTI. "He has been in tremendous form across all formats of the game and I don't know what else he has to do to get into the team."

Jaiswal’s recent T20 performances back this up. After being asked to focus on red-ball cricket for six months, his last five T20I scores—93, 12, 40, 30, and 10—came at a blistering strike rate of nearly 200, perfectly matching the team's aggressive strategy.

"Nobody should leave a match-winner out of the team."

While Vengsarkar agrees that selectors should prioritise current form, even if it means dropping a big name like Gill, he is firm on who should have been the replacement. "They are all excellent players, but I am with the selection committee when they judge players on the basis of current form and fitness," he said. "And if you ask whom I would have picked instead of Gill, my choice would have been Jaiswal. He has proven time and again what a class performer he is and has always given the team the kind of starts required these days."

In T20 cricket, consistency and rhythm are key. While other players remained in the selection mix for white-ball games, Jaiswal was redirected to focus on Test cricket, causing him to fall off the radar.

Vengsarkar warns this can be damaging. "You are bound to lose confidence if you are made to feel that you are not required in one format," he said. "I mean it will affect his confidence and this game is all about confidence. And confidence comes when you have performances backed by runs."

Based on performance, impact, and adaptability, Jaiswal is one of the top contenders for a spot on the team.

Former India opener and coach W.V. Raman suggests that a private conversation between the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, and Jaiswal has likely taken place. He believes that while it's a tough situation, Jaiswal has the talent to overcome it and will "play many more World Cups".

However, Vengsarkar offered a more direct take. When asked what he would tell Jaiswal if he were the chief selector today, he simply replied, "I wouldn't have told him anything because I wouldn't have dropped him in the first place."