The Race for the Opening Slot

Former India opener Virender Sehwag has thrown his weight behind young sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal, predicting that the left-hander will become a mainstay in India's ODI setup once Rohit Sharma retires after next year's World Cup in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Speaking on a Cricbuzz show, Sehwag highlighted Jaiswal's versatility and potential to excel across all three formats of the game. However, he noted that the current dominance of senior players makes it difficult for the youngster to secure a permanent spot.

“But there is no space right now. Shubman Gill is the captain. Rohit Sharma is playing. As soon as Rohit Sharma retires, you will see Jaiswal playing white-ball and one-day cricket as well. Ruturaj Gaikwad might be a competitor of his, though. But if you take three openers, you will definitely see Jaiswal among them,” Sehwag stated.

Proven Track Record

Jaiswal has already made a significant impact in the limited-overs format. His most notable performance came in a match against South Africa in Visakhapatnam last year, where he scored an unbeaten 116 off 121 balls to claim his maiden ODI century.

Sehwag emphasized that Jaiswal's limited opportunities were not due to a lack of performance, but rather the availability of senior stars. He pointed out that Jaiswal has consistently delivered whenever given the chance, unlike other players who might have struggled to cement their place.

Competing Candidates

While Jaiswal is the frontrunner for many, the competition remains fierce. Sehwag mentioned that Ishan Kishan, who holds the record for the fastest double century in ODIs, also remains in the reckoning. Former batter Manoj Tiwary echoed these sentiments, placing Jaiswal at the very top of his priority list.

“He is number one in my list. After the World Cup next year, two players will retire... definitely after the retirement of those players, the first name will be that of Jaiswal. After that, the names you [the host] have taken, Sai Sudharsan, Ishan Kishan and Devdutt Padikkal. This should be the order,” Tiwary explained.

With talented players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, and Devdutt Padikkal also in the mix, the transition period following the senior players' retirement promises to be an intense battle for the coveted opening spot in the Indian national team.