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Ashwin feels Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer are among the rare players who play for the team more than themselves, and they might become more selfish after Asia Cup snub.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has been named as standby for India’s Asia Cup. (Picture Credit: Sportzpics)
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed further disappointment at Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion from India’s squad for the 2025 Asia Cup. He believes that Jaiswal and Iyer are among the few batters who are not selfish and take risks for the team’s benefit, adding that now that might change because the methods haven’t helped them get a place in the side.
Jaiswal was India’s backup opener at the 2024 T20 World Cup but didn’t make it to the first 15 at the Asia Cup, replaced by Shubman Gill. Although the two were competing for the same spot for a while, Gill also got the vice-captaincy role, all but cementing his place in the 11. And because Gill is an opener, Ashwin believes it leaves Jaiswal with just one spot to fight for, which he doesn’t deserve for the T20 talent he possesses.
“Not only has his slot gone, but there’s a leadership role in that,” Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel. “Now, he’s left with one spot — he needs to fight for Abhishek Sharma’s place. Or he’ll have to go and play in the middle-order in the IPL. He averages 36, with a strike rate of 165 in this format. It’s very hard to find a guy like Jaiswal. He doesn’t play for himself sometimes, I have seen a lot of batters who do. Shreyas is the same.”
“Both of them play less for their average and more for strike rate. If the ball is there to be hit, they take the chance. It took a long time for India to get players with that brand of cricket. Now you got those players… I’ll say if I am Jaiswal or Shreyas, now my chance is gone, so from the next time if a risk has to be taken, I won’t. I’ll play for myself because I need to secure my place. It’s unfortunate you’ll have to play for that in T20s,” Ashwin added.
Jaiswal has played 23 T20Is for India, scoring 723 runs at a strike rate of 164.31. The only player to have more runs for the country at a strike-rate better than that is captain Suryakumar Yadav.
‘What can a guy do?’: Ashwin on Jaiswal
Ashwin said Jaiswal had never let down the team with his performances and thus deserved to be treated better.
“Jaiswal got a chance in Test cricket. He took it with both hands. Easily the most successful Test batter to make a debut for India in the recent past. He excelled in whichever format you gave him a chance. What can a guy do apart from excellence? He showed excellence, and now, in that spot, his chance is gone. What can he do now? Go back to the drawing board. I really wish him well when he gets a chance in the future,” he said.
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