Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 27 : Former India batter Suresh Raina lauded the selectors' decision to include young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal in the squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. Despite not having played an ODI so far in his career, Raina believes Jaiswal has "come prepared."
After impressive performances in T20Is and Tests, Jaiswal earned a spot in the Champions Trophy squad as an opener alongside Shubman Gill and skipper Rohit Sharma.
Speaking to Star Sports about Jaiswal's inclusion, Raina praised the young opener's hunger for runs and hard work. "I think that boy is very hungry for runs. I mean, whenever we see his story, I think he has come to that level very eagerly. Hats off to the selectors, especially Rohit Sharma. Without playing the ODI, you are taking that boy to the Champions Trophy. You know that he does a lot of hard work, dedication is very good," said Raina.
The former left-hander added that Jaiswal has a "different attitude in his eyes," and that his preparedness shows his passion for the game."It seems that this boy has come prepared. This is the beauty of Indian cricket. If you work hard and you have the passion to represent the country, then there will be some power that will tell you to go and represent the country. Rohit has done this with Yashasvi," he added.
Jaiswal topped the international run charts for India last year, with 293 runs in eight T20Is at an average of 41.85 and two fifties. Overall, he scored 1,771 runs in 23 matches and 37 innings, averaging 52.08, including three centuries and 11 fifties. He has also played 32 List-A games, amassing 1,511 runs at an average of 53.96, with five centuries and seven fifties, his highest score being 203.
The ninth edition of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy will take place in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates from February 19 to March 9. The eight-team tournament will feature 15 50-over matches, played across Pakistan and Dubai.
The highly anticipated India-Pakistan match is set for February 23 in Dubai. India will begin its campaign against Bangladesh on February 20, and its final group-stage match will be against New Zealand on March 2.
Group A consists of current Champions Trophy holders and hosts Pakistan, along with India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, while Group B features Cricket World Cup 2023 champions Australia, alongside Afghanistan, England, and South Africa.
India Squad for Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja.
India's Group Stage Fixtures:
February 20 - India vs Bangladesh, Dubai
February 23 - India vs Pakistan, Dubai
March 2 - India vs New Zealand, Dubai.