"Are we having different rules for different people?" - Aakash Chopra questions Yashasvi Jaiswal's non-selection in India's 2025 Asia Cup squad

Former India player Aakash Chopra has questioned Yashasvi Jaiswal's omission from India's squad for the 2025 Asia Cup. He wondered whether players are being treated differently, highlighting that the reasoning given for Shubman Gill's appointment as vice-captain should have applied for Jasiwal's selection.

The 2025 Asia Cup is scheduled to be played in the UAE from September 9 onwards. Jaiswal wasn't picked in India's 15-member squad for the continental event, but has been named among the five reserves.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener questioned whether different yardsticks have been applied for Jaiswal and Gill.

"In the T20 World Cup you won, you had to take three openers. There was no other cricket happening at that time, and Yashasvi was the third opener. They said Shubman Gill was made vice-captain because he was the captain as soon as the T20 World Cup got over, and was the vice-captain when Suryakumar Yadav was made the captain, and Sanju Samson opened because Shubman wasn't there," Chopra said.

"I get that, but going by the same token, Yashasvi Jaiswal was in the T20 World Cup team. So his number should have come first, but you didn't keep him. If he is not getting a place, you must ask a question. Are we having different rules for different people?" he added.

Aakash Chopra noted that the selection gives an impression that superstars are needed to carry Indian cricket forward. He highlighted that Shubman Gill has already been identified as a superstar, and Yashasvi Jaiswal has been moved behind in the queue, although it wasn't his mistake.

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"If someone automatically marries into the team philosophy, that is Yashasvi Jaiswal" - Aakash Chopra on opener's batting approach

Yashasvi Jaiswal has smashed 723 runs at a strike rate of 164.31 in 22 T20I innings. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Yashasvi Jaiswal's game is more suited to India's aggressive approach than Shubman Gill's.

"Yashasvi's absence surprises you a little. If someone automatically marries into the team philosophy, that is Yashasvi Jaiswal. I am not saying Shubman cannot do that, but Shubman will have to try. If we compare in the powerplay, Yashasvi is ahead. Yashasvi probably doesn't consistently score as many runs as Shubman after the powerplay, but you have already prepared a long list of attacking batters for that," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the 23-year-old's non-selection was slightly surprising.

"Every team comes and hits sixes, and keeps hitting till the end. They have a batter at No. 8. They do not care how many wickets they have lost, and India are also going in that direction. If someone was fitting into that, it was Yashasvi, but his name is not there in the team. This is the reality. It was slightly surprising for sure," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra expressed slight pessimism about Yashasvi Jaiswal's chances of making it to India's 2026 T20 World Cup squad. He reasoned that the youngster isn't part of India's ODI setup either, and is unlikely to be selected for T20Is based on his Test performances.