Yuvraj Singh urges India to give Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan ODI opportunities
Former India all‑rounder Yuvraj Singh on October 30, 2026, said on the sidelines of the launch event of Protocol 32 that India should give Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan opportunities in One-Day internationals. Kishan has already played 32 matches in the 50‑over format, while Abhishek and Sooryavanshi are yet to make their ODI debuts.
Sooryavanshi and Abhishek were instrumental in the Wellington T20I, combining to help India register the highest team powerplay score in T20I history with 118 runs without losing a wicket. Earlier this year, Sooryavanshi became India's youngest debutant during the tour of England, and Abhishek recently smashed a 35‑ball century during the series against New Zealand. India currently have Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma at the top of the ODI order, with Virat Kohli anchoring the middle order.
"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 also acknowledged the competition for places in the ODI side while praising the young players' form. "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.
India's T20 series with New Zealand saw a turnaround after a dominant start; having secured an unassailable 3‑0 lead, India suffered their first defeat of the series, losing by 87 runs at Eden Park in Auckland. Chasing a target of 260, India were restricted to 172 for nine in that match.
Following the fifth and final T20I in Hamilton on Sunday, the two teams will shift their focus to a five‑match ODI series, which begins on November 4.
