‘Having him in WC team is a must’: Ganguly’s message to Dravid, Rohit after emerging star equals legendary skipper

A little over two months left before the blockbuster 2023 ODI World Cup kicks off in India. All the 10 participating teams have already started locking in on their final squad for the tournament.

India, the host nation, have quite a few certainties for the squad including captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja.But they still have a lot more thinking to do in getting their combination correct as fans egearly await the end of the long-standing ICC trophy drought.

One of the most recent headache for the selectors and the Indian team management pertains to the opening combination. While most felt that that the pair of Rohit and Gill are perfect for the World Cup after the latter sealed his spot at the start of this year with an array of centuries, but amid the emergence of young Yashasvi Jaiswal, veterans and analysts have been adamant on wanting him in the World Cup squad.

Jaiswal broke into the scene after a memorable IPL 2023 season which saw him earn a maiden call-up for the tour of West Indies. He was immediately handed the debut cap for the 1st Test where he scored a record 171 in India’s innings victory.

Sourav Ganguly, in conversation with Telegraph on the young player, who joined him in the list of centurions for India on Test debut and also broke his 27-year-old Asia record for most runs in first Test appearance away from home, was full of praise for the youngster and sent out a message to Rohit and head coach Rahul Dravid that Jaiswal is a “must” for the World Cup.

Ganguly’s reasoning wasn’t just based on Jaiswal’s record or his stupendous run, but also on his left-handed batting ability which will add variety to the India’s top-order line-up.

“Scoring a hundred on debut is always massive. I too have done it, so I know how special it is. Even technique-wise, he seems really good. A left-handed batsman’s presence in the team always helps. So, having him in the World Cup squad is a must,” Ganguly emphasised.

Contrary to the what most veterans and analysts have wanted, Jaiswal was not picked for the ODI series in West Indies and has in fact been added to the Asian Games squad, which basically comprises players not in contention for the World Cup as the schedule of the Asiad clashes with that of the 50-over event.