Is Yashasvi Jaiswal playing today's IND vs IRE 2024 T20 World Cup match?
Yashasvi Jaiswal has been left out of Team India's playing XI for their T20 World Cup 2024 opener against Ireland on Wednesday, June 5, in New York. The Men in Blue went in with the recognized pair of skipper Rohit Sharma and ace batter Virat Kohli at the top order.
Jaiswal has been prepared as India's opener in the shortest format in the last 12 months in the absence of the senior pair. After a defining campaign in IPL 2023 for the Rajasthan Royals, the southpaw replicated his form at the international level. He has aggregated 502 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 161.93, including a hundred and four half-centuries.
Jaiswal retained his place at the top when Kohli and Rohit returned to the side for the Afghanistan series earlier this year. However, a mixed IPL 2024 campaign, where he scored 435 runs in 15 games, seemed to have pushed him down in the pecking order, with the management trusting the experienced pair of Rohit and Kohli at the top.
After winning the toss, skipper Rohit mentioned that Yashasvi Jaiswal will miss out alongside Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal.
"Guys missing out are Kuldeep, Sanju, Jaiswal and one more," Rohit said at the toss.
India's playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohamed Siraj.
"I want Jaiswal at the top, particularly because he is left-handed" - Ian Bishop backed Yashasvi to be in India's playing XI
While Virat Kohli was picked to open alongside skipper Rohit Sharma, former West Indies cricketer and commentator Ian Bishop backed Yashasvi Jaiswal to open the innings. Bishop reckoned that Jaiswal being a left-hander would come in handy for the team.
“There has been a little bit of concern with his (Jaiswal's) form in the IPL," NDTV quoted Bishop as saying. "But if you think his form is good enough to be in the team, then I want Jaiswal at the top, particularly because he is left-handed. If Jaiswal is in that XI, he brings quality when he is in form, and also the left-handedness. So you're asking different questions of the bowling opposition."
Did Yashasvi Jaiswal deserve to be in India's playing XI for today's game? Let us know in the comments.