"Yashasvi Jaiswal will get the first chance" - Former India all-rounder picks Rohit Sharma’s opening partner for IND vs SA 2025 ODIs

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has backed Yashasvi Jaiswal to open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma in the upcoming ODI series against South Africa. The three-match series is scheduled to begin on November 30 in Ranchi.

On Sunday, November 23, the BCCI announced the 15-member squad, with KL Rahul set to captain in the absence of regular skipper Shubman Gill, who will miss out due to a neck injury. In Gill’s absence, the squad features Yashasvi Jaiswal and also marks the return of Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Talking about the duo in a video on his YouTube channel, Pathan said that Jaiswal will play ahead of Gaikwad and praised the left-hander for his talent and the impact he can make in the format, saying:

“Shubman Gill is not there, and he has been India’s most important batter in recent years, especially in ODIs where his averages and performances have been outstanding. So the question now is: who will replace him? Yashasvi Jaiswal has a big opportunity here. Ruturaj Gaikwad has also returned, which is good to see because his performances for India A against South Africa were rewarded. His List A average is excellent. He too has an opportunity if he is picked, but I feel Yashasvi Jaiswal will get the first chance.” “He is already in the team, he was in the squad earlier as well, and there has been a lot of discussion around him. In my opinion, if you have a right-hand/left-hand combination with the new ball, and if Yashasvi Jaiswal, a left-hander, settles into that role, it will be very good for India. When the ball swings early on, this combination becomes important. Also, Jaiswal is the kind of batter who, if he gets set in ODIs, can score a double century or a big hundred. He has that ability and plays both pace and spin very well. So these three matches are a huge opportunity for Yashasvi Jaiswal. He has played only one ODI so far, and I believe this format could become his favourite going forward,” he added.

Yashasvi Jaiswal has featured in just one ODI for India, earlier this year against England, where he scored 15 runs off 22 balls.

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Irfan Pathan names probable No. 4 for India in ODI series vs South Africa

In the video, Irfan Pathan mentioned that Rishabh Pant will probably occupy the No. 4 spot, while vice-captain Shreyas Iyer is sidelined with an injury. Pathan stated:

“The openers are likely to be Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma. Virat Kohli looks like a solid pick for number three as well. But the question will be about number four. Will Rishabh Pant play, or will Tilak Varma get the opportunity? Rishabh Pant, as a wicketkeeper and batter, is likely to feature at number four.”

Pant has appeared in 31 ODIs, scoring 871 runs at an average of 33.50 with a strike rate of 106.21, including five fifties and one century.

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Edited by Dev Sharma