Yashasvi Jaiswal has become a household name in Indian Cricket. The promising young India opener has been receiving accolades from cricket enthusiasts worldwide for his outstanding performances in the ongoing second Test against England, where he not only smashed two double tons, but also finished as the highest run-getter in the series, scoring over 700 runs.
But the highlight through the series was Yashasvi hitting 26 sixes in the Test series, kind of setting the tone for the IPL 2024. Of course the two formats cannot be compared, but it’s just a sign, as to how devastating he can be in this year’s tournament for the Rajasthan Royals.
Now, as the excitement builds, fans are eagerly waiting to witness his carnage with the bat again. Ahead of this highly anticipated T20 league, Insidesport.IN had the opportunity to catch up with Jwala Singh, Yashasvi’s coach, and mentor, shedding light on the cricketer’s journey and aspirations.
Read the excerpts from the interview below:
With the IPL coming up, what changes is he making in his preparations?
“To be very frank right now, he is with the Rajasthan Royals team, so he is extremely busy with his preparation with the franchise. He scored a lot of runs last year, so it’s just another year where he needs to deliver. It’s very important to score runs consistently in the IPL, considering the situation, conditions, and challenges. So, it is just a matter of repeating last year’s performance and trying to improve upon it. So nothing different, really.“
“I think his preparation is going well. He has already played IPL for years, so he’s not a youngster anymore; he’s almost a senior player of the team. I think he will be the main player of the team, and the team management and the captain must have given him some role. He will definitely deliver this year as well.“
Jaiswal had a breakout IPL season in 2023, finishing as the fifth-highest scorer in the competition. He scored 625 runs in 14 matches, averaging 48.08 while striking at 163.61 last season.
Is there anything that he should be improving on? What is your take?
When he came back from the IPL (2021) in Dubai, he was very nervous and he cried over the phone, saying, ‘Sir, my cricket is over. I don’t think I will play at a higher level’. At that time, he was not a very aggressive player. He used to just play some good shots.
During that time, there was COVID in India. I took him to my native place in Gorakhpur, and I used to tell him to hit as many sixes as he could in a big ground against the spinners.
That really laid the foundation for the way he’s playing his shots, and he is very, very clear when he’s hitting. It was at that point when he really transformed himself from a junior or domestic player to a good top-level player.
So I think the progress you are seeing today, that transformation was done in 2020-21. And that was all because of the practice we did. Even when he used to go for the IPL, I used to organize different kinds of situations, hitting all the points. I used to teach him to hit sixes over long-off, over the bowler’s head, over covers, and down the ground. I always taught him those shots in a controlled environment, you know.
2021 was the time where he transformed himself from an under-19 player or a red-ball player to a T20 player. And then, I think when he went to the IPL, the coaches there also helped a lot. So I think they also deserve credit. The RR franchise also has a lot of credit in his batting because they really worked hard on him, and the result is in front of you.”
What do you think that separates Yashasvi from the other upcoming batsman in the country?
He consistently puts pressure on the bowlers by hitting boundaries. This is how he has developed his cricket, his stroke-playing, his mindset. That is what we call adaptability.
In T20 cricket, he approaches the game with a different attitude. In Test cricket, he adopts a different approach. His adaptability and temperament truly set him apart from others, making him unique among players.
Right after the IPL, we have the T20 World Cup. So is there any particular thing that he thinks he needs to work on for that?
He has solidified his place in the upcoming T20 World Cup squad with his fearless batting approach and outstanding performances. He appears indispensable for Team India’s roster in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in the West Indies and the USA.
I believe as a player, he has matured significantly due to his extensive experience playing for India, in the IPL, and in first-class cricket. He understands the process well.
I am curious to see how he handles this pressure and how he responds to the new dynamics in his life. Now that he has transitioned from being a beginner to becoming one of the senior players in the team, it will be interesting to observe his growth in this aspect as well.
In T20Is, Jaiswal has been in exceptional form, accumulating 498 runs in 16 matches at an average of 35.57 and an impressive strike rate of 163.81.
