Yashasvi Jaiswal surpasses Shubman Gill as India's Champions Trophy opener according to Sunil Gavaskar: '...will be a game-changer'

Yashasvi Jaiswal is a promising young cricketer who has shown immense potential to become a great Indian batter in the future. Despite consistently performing well in Test and T20I cricket, he is yet to make his ODI debut. Renowned former India captain and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has expressed his desire to see Jaiswal open for India in the upcoming Champions Trophy alongside Rohit Sharma.

Gavaskar said that he is going for Jaiswal mainly because of the left-right combination that would then be in place at the top of the order for India. "Who wants to be an Indian selector. For me, the left-handed Yashasvi Jaiswal because he brings that left-handedness. One of the biggest plusses or minuses, depending on which way you look at it, is the fact that there will be white balls," said Gavaskar on Star Sports.

"So what is a great delivery for a right-hander becomes a wide down the leg side for a left-hander, which means an extra run and an extra ball. So that left and right-hand combination even in the middle, with Rishabh Pant around, all these things will make a big difference," Gavaskar elaborated.

Jaiswal vs Gill for Champions Trophy opening slot

If this is to happen, Jaiswal may have to be given a chance in India's upcoming ODI series against England, which is a precursor to the Champions Trophy. However, this would mean dislodging Shubman Gill from that position. While his Test record has been shaky, Gill has been highly succesfull in ODIs, scoring 2328 runs 47 ODIs at an average of 58.20 with six centuries and 13 half-centuries.

Jaiswal averages 53.96 in the 32 List A matches that he has played thus far in his career. He has also shown a high degree of adaptability, striking at 150.25 in 104 T20s and averaging 62.40 in 35 first class matches. In 19 Tests that he has played, Jaiswal has scored 1798 runs at an average of 52.88 with four centuries and 10 half-centuries. He has also scored 723 runs in 23 T20Is at a strike rate of 164.31 with one century and five half-centuries.

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