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India’s legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh wants Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ishan Kishan in the mix for ODIs. Yuvraj feels that if the trio isn’t picked, the selectors will be doing an injustice to the talent these southpaws possess.
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"I would love to see him (Abhishek) in the ODIs, to be honest, and I have said this before that if we are not picking guys like Ishan Kishan, Abhishek and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in 50-over cricket, then somewhere down the line we are not doing justice to their talent," Yuvraj told PTI on the sidelines of the launch event of Protocol 32.
Yuvraj, who has mentored Abhishek for a long time, understands that the seniors deserve to hold their spots in the ODIs. But they want the young brigade to follow them into the One-Day squad soon.
"I understand we have some great players, and it is hard to make a spot for them. I think the way they (young batters) are performing, hopefully, they should be in the squad soon. Whatever he (Abhishek) has achieved is because of his hard work, and credit goes to him," he added.
The trio has now become a mainstay in the T20I squad. Kishan’s stocks have risen this year, and he played a huge role in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph. Abhishek struggled against off-spinners in the powerplay, but he seems to have worked on it, and it is no longer the weak link in his batting.
Sooryavanshi has been in and out of the side as captain, as Shreyas Iyer and Gautam Gambhir-led team management want Abhishek and Sanju Samson to get a longer run. As Kishan got injured and ruled out for the second and third T20Is, Sooryavanshi got a chance to play. After a low score at no.3, he unleashed carnage in the third T20I alongside Abhishek.
Kishan making his way into ODIs
Kishan made his comeback to the ODI squad a few months ago and featured in the series against Afghanistan and England. He scored a blazing 125 in the Lucknow ODI. In the two ODIs against England, he couldn't make a mark.
Kishan is in India’s ODI squad for the upcoming five-ODI series against New Zealand. He can be the backup opener and wicketkeeper for the ODI World Cup on South African soil next year. In the last two ODIs, Kishan will be the deputy for stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer.
So far, Kishan has played 32 ODIs and scored 1,107 runs from 28 innings at an average of 42.57 and a strike rate of 107.05. He has two tons and seven fifties. He has a double century in ODIs to his name as well.
Abhishek, Sooryavanshi’s List A record
Abhishek and Sooryavanshi are yet to receive their maiden ODI call-ups. Last year, it was rumoured that Abhishek might be picked for Australia ODIs but he wasn’t included in the squad.
26-year-old Abhishek's previous List A appearance was against Mumbai in January this year, where he got out for a single-digit score while leading Punjab. He has played 69 List A games and scored 2,196 runs at an average of 33.78 and a strike rate just over 100. He has four tons and eight fifties to his name in the One-Day format.
Sooryavanshi has limited experience in List A cricket. From 13 games, he has 564 runs at an average of 43.48 and a strike rate of 176.80, including a ton and two fifties. After a record-breaking run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, he was picked in the India A squad for the Sri Lanka tour. He got starts in league games but couldn’t convert them. In the final of the One-Day tri-series, he went berserk and scored the fastest-ever List A fifty from just 11 balls. He went on to score 94 runs from just 29 balls as India A posted 377/9 on the board and won the final by 66 runs against Sri Lanka A. The teenager also came close to a double century. He scored 190 runs against Arunachal Pradesh in the previous season of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Sooryavanshi and Abhishek are likely to return to List A cricket action in December for their respective state sides. Punjab will begin their campaign against Himachal Pradesh, whereas Bihar will face Tamil Nadu on December 14.
Later in December, the duo will join the T20I squad for the three-T20I series at home against Sri Lanka from December 22 to December 27.
Do Sooryavanshi, Abhishek have a realistic chance of opening in ODIs?
Skipper Shubman Gill and veteran batter Rohit Sharma are the two openers the management is backing for ODI World Cup 2027. Towards the end of the ODI series against England, rumours suggested Rohit would retire from international cricket. However, it turned out to be untrue. Rohit has remained committed to the cause. The 39-year-old scored 225 runs in the ODI series against West Indies, including a ton and a 92-run knock. He will be seen in action when the ODI series begins on November 4.
Currently, the player being considered as a backup opener seems to be Kishan. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is in the squad for New Zealand ODIs, is also a candidate to open the innings. On his comeback, Gaikwad had batted in the middle order in the absence of an injured Iyer.
When Rohit retires after the ODI World Cup 2027, it won’t be easy for Abhishek or Sooryavanshi to walk into the ODI squad. Yashasvi Jaiswal, an established opener, is currently waiting for his opportunities. Jaiswal has two tons from just six ODI appearances. He has 285 runs at an average of 71.25 and a strike rate of 97.60.
Not just Jaiswal, Kishan or Gaikwad, there are other candidates too. Devdutt Padikkal, a batter with 2,799 runs at an average of 76.64, including 13 tons, is still waiting for his maiden ODI call-up. Also, Sai Sudharsan averages nearly 56 in 31 List A innings with six tons to his name already. Other names may emerge in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy season.
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