"My dream is to play ICC T20 World Cup 2026 and captain India in future.." Yashasvi Jaiswal openly challenges Shubman Gill

Yashasvi Jaiswal also said that he would like to captain the Indian Cricket Team in future.

Indian Cricket Team opener Yashasvi Jaiswal said that his dream is to play for India in ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The left-handed batsman also added that he would like to captain the national team in future.

The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is the next big multi-national tournament, which will be played in February and March next year in India and Sri Lanka. The preparation for the ICC event has already begun, and the Men in Blue will aim to defend the title.

The 23-year-old has cemented his place as an opener in the test format, where he currently opens with KL Rahul. But is yet to seal his place in white-ball formats. He is the third choice opener in ODI team after Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill and in T20Is, he is not in the scenes currently amid huge competition.

Recently, the Mumbai batter opened the batting with Sharma in the ODI series against South Africa in the absence of injured Gill. While he failed to go big in the first two games, he hammered a match-winning century in the third encounter to win the Player of the Match award.

With his unbeaten 116 runs off 121 deliveries, Jaiswal set the stage for India’s victory in the series-deciding clash in the chase. He is not part of the ongoing T20I series against the Proteas and is highly expected to be overlooked for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

My dream is to play the ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Yashasvi Jaiswal

Speaking during ‘Agenda Aaj Tak’ conclave, the opening batter reckoned that he wants to play in ICC T20 World Cup 2026, however, he is also ready wait for the right time.

“My dream is to play the T20 World Cup, but I try to focus on my game and will wait for my time,” he said. When asked about whether he would like lead the national team, he stated, “Yes, if I get a chance, I would like to lead India”.

Jaiswal also heaped praises on veteran batters Sharma and Virat Kohli, stating that they are like an inspiration and share their experiences on the field to guide youngsters. He added that the team misses them when they are not available.

“When they (RoKo) are there, it is great for us as they discuss the game. They share their experiences. The intensity with which they have played and won games for India, they are like inspiration. They tell us about the mistakes they made in their younger days and how we can avoid making those mistakes,” Jaiswal said.

“When they aren’t there, we all miss them. If they are there, we all feel relaxed. When I was playing the third ODI, Rohit bhai told me to relax and remain calm and take time as he would take risks. How many people will do that? Similarly Virat paaji, gave me small targets and told me that we will have to win it ourselves,” he added.

Notably, Jaiswal was part of the Rohit Sharma-led India squad that won the previous edition of ICC T20 World Cup in 2024. However, he was not part of the playing XI in any game. Meanwhile, both Sharma and Kohli have bid farewell to T20Is and tests and are only active in the 50-over format.

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