Former India spinner R Ashwin has expressed disappointment on the sidelines of the omission of Yashasvi Jaiswal from the side for the upcoming five match ODI series with New Zealand, beginning on November 4. Shubman Gill's unavailability for the final two matches has prevented Jaiswal from featuring, Ashwin has argued, with the young batter also missing out on valuable match-time to prepare for the Test season that kicks off on November 19.

R Ashwin questions Jaiswal's lack of opportunities

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin argued that Jaiswal should have been given the opportunity to feature in the last two ODIs, especially with Gill's unavailability.

“I feel Jaiswal should have definitely got those two ODIs. It is very unfortunate that all of this can ruin his confidence now, with the way that he was scoring runs,” Ashwin said.

Ashwin appreciated the predicament the selectors had in deciding the squad with the limited opportunities for Gill, KL Rahul and the inclusion of Prasidh Krishna and Anshul Kamboj.

“But if that is the case then why don’t they give Jaiswal more opportunities to play? Because my point is not to get him into the team, but I feel that Jaiswal must get sufficient number of matches to get his game going.”

India prioritizes preparation for Test series

With the red-ball games taking center-stage, the selection committee is likely to priorities the three-Test series against New Zealand. With the opening three ODIs featuring Gill, Rahul, Prasidh Krishna and Anshul Kamboj, with their exclusion for the final two matches to be made to prepare for Tests.

Jaiswal is set to feature in the India A series against New Zealand A before the Test assignments. However, Ashwin has argued that it does not offer the same level of preparation.

India is determined to build on their position in the World Test Championship race and the upcoming fixture will be crucial for them.

Jaiswal's recent ODI record raises questions

Jaiswal has scored two centuries in his last three ODIs, one each against South Africa and Afghanistan. However, he has faced competition for the opening spot with Rohit Sharma and Gill keeping the opportunity for T20s.

Currently, the 24-year-old represents the team in Tests, and has not been able to play ODIs and T20Is on a regular basis.

Ashwin has also expressed concerns regarding his batting confidence that could be impacted by his opportunities.

“His batting confidence can be affected with the number of opportunities he is missing. I feel that the selectors and management must think of some way to give him enough opportunities to bat,” Ashwin said.