Yashasvi Jaiswal or Shubman Gill - who should India pick for 1st T20I vs Afghanistan?

Team India are all set for their final T20I assignment in the leadup to the 2024 T20 World Cup in the form of a home series against Afghanistan. The circumstances are arguably not ideal with Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav, two key players in the setup being ruled out due to injuries.

However, the hosts have enough depth to cover the absence, and are also bolstered by the return of senior figures - Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The pair's last T20I appearance came in the semi-final defeat against England.

With the prolific duo now seemingly in contention for the World Cup as well, it makes the selection process, a bit trickier. While Kohli will walk in at No. 3, the already crowded opening department will need significant sorting.

In the absence of Rohit Sharma, the likes of Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, and Ruturaj Gaikwad primarily opened the innings on a rotational basis. With the latter set of names not being part of the Afghanistan series, the competition is narrowed down to between Jaiswal and Gill for the slot at the top of the order alongside Rohit Sharma.

On that note, let us take a look at who should India pick for the first T20I vs Afghanistan between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill.

#1 Form

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill recently opened the innings together during the three-match series against South Africa. They were also paired at the top during the tour of the Caribbean in July 2023 on the back of their prolific IPL campaigns.

In recent times though, Jaiswal has showcased his innate aggression and arguably everything that India have looked for in an opening batter. The Men in Blue have been criticized for their timid approach over the last two editions of the T20 World Cup, and Jaiswal is anything but timid.

He had a solid campaign for India at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, and despite lacking runs and consistency to a degree in the home series against Australia, his approach never wavered during the high-scoring series.

While he is still finding his feet in terms of consistency at the highest level, the impact he provides, irrespective of the conditions with his brazen approach is ideal for India.

Gill's T20I career, on the other hand, has unfortunately been just a tale of two innings. His maiden hundred against New Zealand and a well-compiled fifty alongside Jaiswal in the Caribbean.

His other 11 innings are dismal, to say the least, and to make matters worse, he has scored in double figures only once across his last seven innings. With his competitors like Jaiswal and Gaikwad scoring runs at will, coupled with Rohit Sharma's return, Gill's T20I spot has never been under more threat.

#2 Playing style

As mentioned earlier, Jaiswal's ruthless approach augurs well for India, who are aiming to inculcate an aggressive approach for quite a while now. And if such an approach begins from the top, the rest are surely set to follow.

Jaiswal has a T20I career strike rate of 160, a touch better than Shubman Gill's 145 in a similar number of appearances so far.

Jaiswal also emerges as an ideal candidate to exploit the powerplay. He is adept at stepping out and taking on the bowler as well. He has the backing of the team management as well to continue with the same approach.

Gill has struggled in overseas conditions, and he has to show enough consistency with an aggressive approach across all terrains to rest his case. So far, he is well short of such expectations. The upcoming IPL season will be crucial for him in terms of earning a place in the World Cup squad, a tricky prospect as he has been tasked with leading the Gujarat Titans (GT) as well.

Gill has shown that he is a dangerous batter once set. He can take on the spinners quite well in the middle overs and keeps the scoreboard ticking as well. But all of that is contingent on his initial moments at the crease, and that is where he has faltered in his T20I career so far.

Gill has not been able to negotiate the early moments well, get a decent start, and convert from there.

#3 What does the team need?

Team India have incorporated left-handed batters into the playing XI more than ever, and with Rohit Sharma claiming one end, Yashasvi Jaiswal is the only other left-handed option at the top. Ishan Kishan was not included in the squad and remains absent following his release from the Test squad in South Africa.

If it were the old days, there might have been a little case for Shubman Gill, as India already have an aggressor in the form of Rohit. The Hitman is unlikely to budge from his approach, and Gill could have been the neutralizing presence.

However, with Team India looking to be aggressive from the get-go, the pairing of Rohit and Jaiswal seems inevitable. Even Virat Kohli, who has played the anchoring role will be encouraged to get going from the start, giving greater responsibility to the middle and the lower middle order.

On the flip side, a home series against Afghanistan can also be viewed as an excellent opportunity to get players like Gill back into form.

However, considering all things, Jaiswal is ahead of Gill across all factors and should be the preferred candidate to open alongside Rohit in the first T20I against Afghanistan.

Who will open alongside Rohit Sharma in the first T20I against Afghanistan? Let us know what you think.