Ravichandran Ashwin lost his cool as he found Yashasvi Jaiswal’s name missing from India’s squad for the ODI series against New Zealand. Ashwin blasted the BCCI selection committee, labelling the decision, “unfair and unfortunate”.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s omission from India’s squad for the ODI series against New Zealand has left many questions unanswered. With the management beginning serious preparations for the ODI World Cup next year, the 5-match assignment against the Kiwis is not being seen as just another contest. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not picked Jaiswal for even the last couple of matches in the ODI series, for which a few other key players have been rested, leaving many bewildered and baffled, including Ravichandran Ashwin.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Ashwin expressed utter astonishment as he went on a relentless rant, questioning the logic behind Jaiswal’s absence from the ODI squad, especially considering he hasn’t featured in limited-overs cricket for India in about 4 months.
Arguing Jaiswal’s case, Ashwin said while it’s fine for the selectors to be looking after the southpaw ahead of the Test series against the Kiwis, they should’ve picked him for the last 2 ODIs, especially as Shubman Gill has been rested for those matches.
“If Shubman Gill is not playing the last two ODIs, then Yashasvi Jaiswal should definitely get that spot. It is very unfortunate because all of this can ruin his confidence. Now, with the way he was scoring runs…”
“Tell me this, I can understand Shubman Gill’s situation because he is travelling. I can also understand KL Rahul’s situation. But Yashasvi Jaiswal has no game time at all, right? I am not speaking purely from a perspective of just handing Yashasvi Jaiswal opportunities. I understand and agree with your point. However, his confidence is being completely ruined. I do not know, but if you look at his batting, he is not batting the way he used to bat two or three years ago,” Ashwin said, almost fuming over the situation.
“He was a run machine. If his confidence is getting ruined, it is the job of the team management and selectors to give him an opportunity wherever possible. But he has not been getting those opportunities at all. It has not gone to him. And it is very unfair. That is why I am saying, if there is an opportunity here for these two ODIs, honestly, if I were in the position of the team management or selectors, I would have gone and asked Yashasvi Jaiswal: ‘This is the situation for these two ODIs, do you want to play? If you want to play, please go ahead and play.’ There is absolutely nothing like international game time.”
🚨Injustice towards Jaiswal – R Ashwin
-They aren’t giving Jaiswal any international game time. He should have been selected for the last 2 ODIs.
-The team management and selectors are doing an injustice to Jaiswal & they are shattering his self-confidence.
-Jaiswal is a run-machine, but his confidence clearly appears to be down in the current Test matches.
-If Rohit Sharma plays in the 2027 World Cup, what guarantee is there that Jaiswal will be the opener afterward? After all, there’s also Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
-They are neither selecting him for T20s nor for ODIs. A great injustice is being done to him.
— Indian Cricket 🏏 (@Indiancric1cm) October 16, 2026
Ajit Agarkar, the BCCI selection committee chief whose contract has now ended, was reportedly a big believer in Jaiswal’s potential and wanted to push his case as an important player in India’s ODI team, especially for the World Cup next year. However, a potential conflict between picking one player between Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma reportedly played a role in his contract not being renewed. Now, with Jaiswal’s ODI experience being limited, big questions are being asked even over Team India’s seriousness to prepare a primary squad and bench strength for the World Cup in South Africa.