Indian wicket-keeper batter, Dinesh Karthik, has emphasized the need for patience when it comes to young talent Yashasvi Jaiswal and believes that the talented batter should not be fast-tracked into the ODI setup, especially for the upcoming ICC Men's Cricket World Cup this year.
Jaiswal gained prominence when he topped the run charts at the 2020 ICC Men's Under-19 Cricket World Cup, and the 21-year-old has continued to impress with standout performances for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.
Calls have been made for Jaiswal to be included in India's 50-over squad for this year's World Cup, with former national coach Ravi Shastri suggesting that the young cricketer could push for selection in case of injuries to key players leading up to the tournament. However, Karthik is not convinced by this idea.
The 37-year-old believes that this year's World Cup comes too soon for Jaiswal and suggests that the left-hander should instead focus on being a part of next year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
"I don't think Yashasvi needs to be fast-tracked into the ODI setup. He's a young boy. He needs to be fast-tracked into the T20I setup. I think he needs to be one of the frontrunners for the T20 World Cup happening next year as there are only a limited amount of ODIs left to be played prior to this World Cup," said Karthik on The ICC Review.
Karthik believes that India already has talented openers like Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan, who have been given opportunities to partner captain Rohit Sharma in the vacant opener role in 50-over cricket this year. He suggests that India should continue providing opportunities to this duo while Jaiswal further hones his skills.
"India don't lack an opener, they've done really well with Rohit and Shubman being there. So I feel that post the World Cup, I think in ODIs and T20Is, he (Jaiswal) is going to be a consistent player without a doubt," Karthik stated.
He further added, "You don't need to fast-track him to this World Cup. I think there is Ishan Kishan who has also done well, who has been waiting in the wings. I only think it's fair that Yashasvi Jaiswal, when given an opportunity, is given an extended run because again, he is a very special player. He's shown us in this IPL. But when it comes to international cricket, it is a different cup of tea altogether. Just back him out there in the T20 setup, he needs to be there now. He'll get going. And by the time this World Cup finishes, he will be ready to play from there on in ODIs and T20s."
While Jaiswal has grabbed headlines with his performances in the IPL, Karthik has also been impressed by other young batters in the tournament. He mentioned the names of Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, and Tilak Varma as players who have caught his eye and could potentially be considered for the T20 World Cup next year alongside Jaiswal.
"I don't think anybody among the youngsters that I'm going to mention will make it to this 50-over World Cup. But I do feel that in the next World Cup, we will see names like Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Tilak Var