Yashasvi Jaiswal has made rapid strides in international cricket since making his debut against West Indies in 2023. With his consistent performances especially in the longest format of the game, the left-hander has emerged as a reliable batter known to score daddy hundreds early on in his career. But Jaiswal’s journey to reach the highest level hasn’t been a walk in the park. From playing cricket to earn a living to sleeping in tents the youngster is aware of the harsh reality of life.
The Early Move
Yashasvi Jaiswal moved to Mumbai from Uttar Pradesh to pursue his ambitions to play cricket. The left-hander had to grind it out after coming to the city of dreams as he slept in tents and sold Pani Puri to earn a living along with playing cricket. The turning point in Jaiswal’s life came when he was spotted by Jwala Singh a local coach who took him under his wings two years later after he saw him play at the Azad Maidan.
The Performances
Yashasvi started piling on the runs in the 2019 domestic season when he accumulated scores of 122, 203, and 60* in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, his run only ended when rain knocked Mumbai out of the competition. The following year, the left-hander was India’s batting mainstay in the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa, where he was the Player of the Tournament as India finished runners-up. Jaiswal’s impressive performance in the multination tournament helped him earn an Indian Premier League contract with Rajasthan Royals.
The IPL Journey
Yashasvi who made his IPL debut against Chennai Super Kings in 2020 had to wait for his breakthrough season till 2023 when he took his game to the next level and was seen taking opposition bowlers to the cleaners a skill that was on show during the 1000th game of the tournament when Jaiswal scored an attacking century against Mumbai Indians. The left-hander was the shinning light of an otherwise disappointing campaign for the Rajasthan Royals.
Yashasvi Jaiswal 124(62) vs Mumbai Indians
A Confident Youngster
Jaiswal was rewarded for his consistent performance in the domestic circuit which included a double century and a century in the Irani Cup when he was selected in the Indian team for the tour of West Indies in 2023. He made a blistering start to his international career with a score of 150 plus in the first innings of the first test. His impressive performance in the longest format helped him earn a place in the T20 side on the same tour.
Born to Bat
After making headlines with his performance against West Indies Jaiswal wasn’t able to score runs in the two-match test series against South Africa but was impressive in the preceding T20I series against Australia with his aggressive strokeplay which solidified his case for a spot in the playing XI against Afghanistan in the home T20I series which saw the return of senior batters like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
The Big Test
Despite a consistent run at the highest level Jaiswal was yet to face what was being considered his biggest challenge, the five-match test series against England at home, and the left-hander has aced the challenge with flying colours emerging as the crisis man for the Rohit Sharma led side in the absence of senior players like Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara.
