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Irfan Pathan Wants Yashasvi Jaiswal in Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made his ODI debut against England on February 6, 2025, has quickly proven that he possesses the full potential to become a highly capable and reliable opener for the Indian team in the ODI format as well. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced the squad for the upcoming home ODI series against the West Indies, with Jaiswal included as the third opener.
Irfan Pathan's Big Statement Ahead of India vs West Indies ODI Series
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The first match of the three-game ODI series between India and the West Indies will be played on September 27 in Thiruvananthapuram (Greenfield International Stadium).
Ahead of this series, former T20 World Cup champion and star commentator Irfan Pathan has advocated for giving Jaiswal as many opportunities as possible.Speaking on Star Sports, Irfan Pathan said:
"There is one player in this series whom I will be keeping a close eye on: Yashasvi Jaiswal. I am very eager to see how many opportunities he gets, especially in this ODI series against the West Indies."
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Crucial to Provide Backup Openers Match Practice Before World Cup
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The former all-rounder further explained that it is vital to prepare backup players with future major tournaments in mind, specifically the ODI World Cup scheduled to be held in South Africa.
Irfan Pathan added:
"Look, one thing is certain: Jaiswal is your backup opener. Currently, he is in the role of the team's third opener. By the time you reach South Africa (for the ODI World Cup), you don't want a situation where your backup opener hasn't had the chance to play enough matches. Therefore, whenever the opportunity arises, seeing him play regularly, meaning he is in the playing XI is what matters to me."
India Squad for West Indies ODI Series
The 15-member Indian ODI squad announced by the BCCI for the West Indies tour/series is as follows:
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (Vice-captain), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Aquib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Naman Dhir.
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