Yashasvi Jaiswal’s long-term place in India’s ODI setup remains a hot topic, and former opener Virender Sehwag believes the left-hander’s future in the format is only being delayed by the current opening combination. According to Sehwag, Jaiswal has the talent to succeed in all three formats, but with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill settled at the top, the youngster must wait for his proper opening.

Sehwag pointed out that Jaiswal has already shown enough in the limited ODI opportunities he has received. Whenever India needed cover because of injuries or unavailability, the young batter stepped in and impressed. That, Sehwag feels, is proof that Jaiswal can handle international pressure. Even so, he says the timing is not right just yet because India’s top order is already locked in.

The former India opener also noted that once Rohit Sharma eventually retires from ODI cricket, Jaiswal will almost certainly come back into the picture. He backed the Rajasthan Royals star to become a serious contender for a permanent place in India’s white-ball teams, while also acknowledging that Ruturaj Gaikwad remains another strong rival for those top-order spots.

WATCH – Jemimah Rodrigues Reacts After Alia Bhatt Credits Her For Inspiring Young Cricketers

“But there is no space right now. Shubman Gill is the captain. Rohit Sharma is playing,” Virender Sehwag said on Cricbuzz. “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 further explained that Jaiswal has not been excluded for underperformance. In fact, he said the youngster has done well every time he has been given an opportunity. The issue, as Sehwag sees it, is simply that India’s first-choice openers were available whenever Jaiswal was in contention.

“He performed very well when he got the chance,” Virender Sehwag added. “It was not like he was dropped after not performing. He was in the team because someone wasn’t playing.”

Sehwag also mentioned Ishan Kishan, pointing out that the wicketkeeper-batter has already scored a double hundred in ODIs and remains in the mix. Still, he made it clear that Jaiswal is the player he would most like to see across all three formats.

WATCH – Dani Wyatt Dedicates Emotional World Cup Century To Daughter Daisy

Recently, India bowling coach Morne Morkel also spoke about the No. 3 position, saying the absence of Virat Kohli in the Afghanistan ODI series gives the management a chance to test options such as Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul and Jaiswal in that role. The idea is to explore combinations at home and build greater depth before bigger challenges arrive.