Former Team India selector Dilip Vengsarkar said that young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal should have been in the 2026 T20 World Cup squad as well. Despite having an impressive T20I record, Jaiswal has not played for India in the format since July 2024. Even with the exclusion of Shubman Gill from the World Cup squad, Jaiswal could not find a place in the final 15. Instead, Ishan Kishan has been added as a reserve wicketkeeper who can open as well.

Talking to the PTI, Vengsarkar said (via NDTV): “They are all excellent players, but I am with selection committee when they judge players on the basis of current form and fitness. Current form does play an important role in the context of selection. And if you ask whom I would have picked instead of Gill, my choice would have been Jaiswal. He has proven time and again what a class performer he is and has always given the team the kind of starts required these days.”

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“It is unfortunate that Yashasvi is being left out time and again for no fault of his. He has been in tremendous form across all formats of the game, and I don’t know what else he has to do to get into the team. Nobody should leave a match-winner out of the team,” he shared.

Dilip Vengsarkar also warned India that Yashasvi Jaiswal may lose confidence due to his exclusion from the T20I side as well.

“You are bound to lose confidence if you are made to feel that you are not required in one format. I mean, it will affect his confidence, and this game is all about confidence. And confidence comes when you have performances backed by runs,” concluded Dilip Vengsarkar.