Yashasvi Jaiswal's time seems to have finally arrived. After setting the England Test series on fire by smashing 700 runs, Jaiswal had a lacklustre IPL and was benched during India's T20 World Cup campaign. However, with the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the formats, Jaiswal’s T20I career has found a fresh lease of life, as he along with Shubman Gill are being shaped as India's openers in the shortest format and one, who in all probability, open for India at the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Jaiswal got his chance when he linked up with the squad in Zimbabwe and scored an unbeaten 93 in the 4th T20I. Carrying his form into the Sri Lanka T20Is, Jaiswal looked like a million bucks during his short-yet-fiery knock of 40 in Pallekele. The young left-hander blasted five fours and two sixes as India teed off inside the Powerplay. His partner Gill was equally assertive during his innings of 34 off 16 balls as together, they offered a glimpse into the future.

However, if Ashish Nehra is to be believed, Jaiswal's entire strokeplay would have been limited to India nets had Kohli and Rohit not retired. Taking a cheeky dig, the former India left-arm quick indirectly implied that had the two stalwarts kept going, Jaiswal would have had to wait even longer to get his opportunity.

"Ajay Jadeja asked you what's the difference when Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were there (to open in T20Is). According to me, there is just one difference. If Virat and Rohit were still playing this format, then whatever strokes we saw from you today, you would have played those in the nets. Now you are getting to play those shots in the match because they (Virat and Rohit) are not there," Nehra said to Jaiswal during a post-match interview on the Sony Sports Network.

Did Kohli-Rohit stand in Jaiswal's way?

Nehra's remarks left Jaiswal embarrassed for a second, as the expressions on the youngster's face told the story. Jaiswal was initially expected to Rohit's opening partner at the T20 World Cup, but given Kohli's superlative form in the IPL 2024, where he scored 741 runs – his second-best season of all time – to win the Orange Cap, the management decided to try out the Rohit-Kohli combination at the top.

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Strangely, it did not work, as Kohli endured a flop show, with a total tally of just 75 runs in the first seven matches with a best of 37 against Bangladesh. Fortunately for India, Kohli saved his best for last, scoring a match-winning 76 in the final of the T20 World Cup where India beat South Africa by 7 runs to emerge world champions. At 34/4, when India looked were in trouble with flashbacks of India's past collapses storming the mind, Kohli dug deep and played a clutch knock. His efforts fetched him the Player of the Match honour, a fitting end as Kohli announced his retirement from T20Is.

With new coach Gautam Gambhir and new captain Suryakumar Yadav driving the team into a new era, the world promises to see plenty more of Jaiswal and what the future has in store for the exciting youngster.