When the 21-year-old Yashasvi hit Riley Meredith for a boundary to notch up his maiden IPL century recently, apart from the entire Wankhede Stadium crowd and the Rajasthan Royals‘ dug out, the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who was sitting in the Mumbai Indians’ dugout, also stood and applauded Yashasvi’s valiant efforts. Yashasvi removed his helmet, raised his bat, and bowed in front of Sachin and then the Mumbai crowd.
Though Yashasvi’s maiden century wasn’t enough to take RR across the finish line vs MI, his batting efforts drew praise from all corners.
Yashasvi was adjudged Man of the Match for his belligerent 124 off 62 balls, a knock studded with 16 fours and 8 maximums. The 21-year-old met met his state senior and MI and Team India captain Rohit Sharma after the match and was seen touching his feet. Rohit hugged him and gave him a pat on his back.
Image credit: BCCI/IPL
Yashasvi credits advice that he has got over the years from the likes of Rohit, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni for his success.
Yashasvi, whose journey so far has been a fascinating one, was 11 when he left his home in Suriya village in Uttar Pradesh and traveled to Mumbai. He had to sell pani puris to earn money and lived in tents at Azad Maidan. His quintessential rags-to-riches story has been an inspiration for many.
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Being Yashasvi Jaiswal: The incredible journey of a phenomenally talented cricketer
In IPL 2023, the left-hander has played 9 matches so far and scored 428 runs at an average of 47.56, including one century and three fifties.
Jaiswal was also the highest run-getter in the 2020 ICC u-19 World Cup, where India finished as runners-up, with 400 runs in 6 innings.
Image credit: PTI
TimesofIndia.com caught up with the young sensation for an exclusive interview to talk about his tremendous IPL 2023 form, meeting Sachin and Rohit, interactions with Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, and much more…
Is this Yashasvi 2.0 that we are seeing in IPL 2023?
(Laughs) No. I have just worked very hard. Whenever I go out to the middle, I just focus on the game and play my natural game. If you respect cricket, cricket will respect you – that’s what I believe in and think about when I go out to the middle. This is my own view. I don’t like comparisons with anyone. I consider myself to be a kid who loves to be grounded while chasing his dreams and working hard to achieve them. I just thanked God when I scored the century. I wanted to work on the process and work hard and I knew results would follow. I keep myself mentally and physically strong, I have worked a lot on my fitness and diet. I have ensured I have a disciplined life both on and off the field.
Did you make any changes to your batting technique, style, or training this season?
There was a lot of practice and training sessions ahead of IPL 2023. I have been consistent for the last three years, including in domestic tournaments. I have practiced a number of shots during this period. During the training sessions, I analysed the situations and practiced accordingly. I didn’t leave a single stone unturned during net sessions or practice sessions. As we say, practice makes a cricketer perfect. I followed the same path and will keep doing it going ahead.
Image credit: BCCI/IPL
You notched up your maiden IPL century against the most successful IPL team – the Mumbai Indians. You have played alongside Rohit Sharma in the domestic circuit. What did captain Rohit say to you after that match?
I have a good connection with Rohit bhaiya. I am from Mumbai. He is from Mumbai. I have played under him, and he knows me well. I am a lot junior to him and have learnt a lot from him. After that match, he hugged me and praised me. I really enjoyed the innings and enjoyed talking to him after the match. This innings will remain special for me. It was my maiden IPL hundred. The first is always special and memorable. This is something I will always remember.
Were you disappointed after seeing yourself on the losing side despite a century in that match?
Winning and losing are part and parcel of the game. I did my job for the team. A win would have been really good, but we will come back stronger. I am just staying positive about myself and my team.
You admire Sachin Tendulkar. He was seen clapping for you and interacting with you after that match…
Watching Sachin sir while batting is a blessing. When I was batting and reached the hundred, everyone applauded me. The clapping and cheering is still reverberating in my ears. I met Sachin sir after that knock. He praised me and said – ‘Yashasvi, good job, keep doing well’. I got a lot of tips from him and want to keep those to myself. His tips and guidance have helped me reach here and have always helped my game. I will keep using those tips in my game in the future too. Watching him (at the ground) while I was batting was just so pleasing to the eyes. My confidence is doubled when I watch Sachin sir while batting.
Image credit: BCCI/IPL
You have had good interactions with Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni too…
Virat (Kohli) bhaiya and MS (Dhoni) sir have played big roles (in my career). I have taken advice from them. Their tips have helped me a lot. I took advice from Rohit (Sharma) bhaiya as well. They have all played a lot of cricket and know the game very well. When you talk to them, you learn a lot. When you see them on the field, their batting, fielding, body language or movement, their leg movements, the way they move their bat to play a particular shot, and the last-moment decision-making in shot selection, you learn a lot. During the IPL, I got the chance to interact with Virat bhaiya, MS sir, and Rohit bhaiya. They all gave me cricketing tips. Those are helping me a lot. At Rajasthan Royals, Jos (Buttler) and Sanju bhai (Sanju Samson) – their guidance has helped me in my game too.
When you sit back and think about your journey so far, do you recall your past and the struggles you had to endure?
The past teaches you a lot. A lot of hard work was involved. I didn’t give up. Everyone knows my story and I learnt from it. That is something that keeps me grounded and keeps pushing me towards my goals. I just focus on my game and want to learn every day from every senior player.