Ishan Kishan in; Players who can pip Yashasvi Jaiswal behind to replace Rohit Sharma in ODIs

Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan - (Source: AFP)

On Sunday, January 18, India suffered their maiden ODI series defeat at home against New Zealand, marking a new low in Indian cricket. The Men in Blue had eyes set on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, but the latter disappointed with his performance, reigniting the selection debate one more time.

Rohit Sharma, who won the player of the series during Australia ODIs, amassed just 61 runs in three innings, averaging just 20.33. Notably, Rohit’s best knock came in the 1st ODI, where he scored 26 (29), featuring three fours and two sixes. Amid a lacklustre series, the debate is on whether Rohit deserves a place in the Indian ODI setup till the 2027 ODI World Cup or not.

There is a possibility that one more failure and the Hitman might have to bow out of the team, because the World Cup is still far, and India can groom another talent to open the innings alongside Shubman Gill.

The first name that strikes in mind is Yashasvi Jaiswal. The southpaw is the frontrunner to replace the Hitman. Talking about Jaiswal’s last series, the southpaw scored 156 runs in three innings, which featured a century in the 3rd ODI.

However, in the latest Vijay Hazare Trophy season, several prospects rose to the occasion and knocked on selectors’ doors, seeking attention. Therefore, this article will shed light on three players who can be better options than Yashasvi Jaiswal to replace Rohit Sharma in ODIs.

1. Devdutt Padikkal

One of the names who can pip Jaiswal in the pecking order to replace Rohit Sharma is Devdutt Padikkal. The 25-year-old is enjoying the best phase of his life and is among runs across formats. Padikal stole the show during the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, where he scored 725 runs in nine innings, averaging 90.63. 

Padikkal slammed four centuries and two fifty-plus scores and has become a top contender to break into the ODI set-up for India. Notably, Padikkal has played T20Is and Tests for India, but One-Day Internationals is the only format he is yet to feature for the Men in Blue.

Let’s look at Devdutt Padikkal’s performances across formats.

2. Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan has made one of the best comebacks in Indian cricket. The southpaw was left out of the scheme of things after pulling out of the SA T20s in December 2024. However, Ishan made himself noticeable after heroics in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which also earned him a spot in the T20 World Cup 2026.

In SMAT 2025, Kishan scored 517 runs in 10 innings, averaging 57.44. Further, Ishan stood up when it mattered the most and slammed a century in the final. Ishan also extended his red-hot form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he slammed 155 runs in three innings, averaging 51.67, and featured a century.

The 27-year-old has played 27 ODIs, and his last appearance was in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Let’s look at his recent performances.

3. Abhishek Sharma

By replacing Rohit Sharma, India are looking for an explosive option, which is why Yashasvi Jaiswal is ahead in that list. However, Abhishek Sharma had a great 2025 in T20Is, and the selectors were interested in testing Abhishek for ODIs as well.

There were reports that Abhishek might be picked for Australia ODIs, but the rumours didn’t turn out to be true. However, the selectors can actually look to bring in Abhishek in the scheme of things in ODIs as well.