Yashasvi Jaiswal did not take much time to make it to the headlines. The 18-year-old is all set to make his debut in IPL 2020 for Rajasthan Royals (Rs. 2.40 Crores). His rise was quick but he had to earn it overcoming a number of hurdles at a tender age.
Things to know about Yashasvi Jaiswal
1.) Yashasvi Jaiswal moved to Dadar, Mumbai to pursue his dream of playing cricket. While he was at Dadar, he had to receive training at Azad Maidan. He relocated to the Kalbadevi neighborhood and managed accommodation in a dairy shop in return for low-grade work. But he failed to provide the required help to the shopkeeper and he had to leave that place. Eventually, Jaiswal was left with no place to stay. His uncle referred him to the Muslim United Club, where they had tents. For the next three years, those tents were his home in Mumbai.
2.) By now most of the Indian cricket fans know that Jaiswal had to sold panipuri to survive. Yet he would often sleep hungry. In an interview with The Wisden, he recalled his days, “I was staying in a tent alright but I had no money to buy food. So I started selling paani puri during Ram Leela. I also did the scoring, became a ball boy even when I was not asked to. Basically, I did everything through which I could earn money.” But Jaiswal was determined to stay.
3.) In December 2013 Jaiswal was spotted by Jwala Singh which changed his life forever. Singh went to watch academy matches at the maidan and an A division player was seen complaining about the surface. Jwala Singh recalled how a kid was playing confidently on a damp pitch. He decided to take Jaiswal under his wings at his cricket academy in Santacruz and helped the kid remain in the race. “I asked him what he had done until then, so he showed me newspaper cuttings. I couldn’t believe it. Playing in the Harris Shield, he had hit a 210 and taken eight wickets too. Yet, he wasn’t playing anywhere.”
4.) In 2015, Jaiswal scored 319* and recorded 13 wickets in a Giles Shield game. This did not only help him register a place in the Mumbai U19 side, but it was also recognized by the Limca Book of Records. The 2018 Youth Asia Cup was another milestone in the journey where Jaiswal emerged as the leading run-scorer. In December 2019, he was chosen for India’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2020 campaign. He yet again proved his caliber and became the leading scorer including a century against Pakistan in the semifinal.
5.) Yashasvi Jaiswal made his first-class debut for Mumbai in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy. He then went on to become the youngest player to score a double century in List A (senior 50 over) cricket. He surpassed South African player Alan Barrow’s record to achieve the feat at 17 years, 292 days. It came against Jharkhand on October 16, 2019, in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match. He scored 203 runs off 154 balls that included 17 fours and 12 sixes. He ended as one of the top five run-scorers at the 2019–20 Vijay Hazare Trophy with 564 runs in six matches.
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