Yashasvi Jaiswal was born poor but that’s not his mistake but he constantly worked hard in his life by learning how to play some good cricket. He was thrown out of a dairy shop because he focussed most of his time on cricket. Thanks to the groundsmen at the Muslim United Club’s tent at the Azad Maidan ground who gave space for Jaiswal to live there.
Though he continued playing cricket, a shortage of money was a setback. Besides all such struggles, he was well focussed on cricket, a sport that he admired and loved the most. He used to help out a food vendor at the tent. He was given free lunch and dinner. His job in the kitchen was to make rotis for the staff. He lived in a tent but nobody bothered about him. He slept hungry some days and no one cared about him. He sold ‘pani puris’ on roads to make money for a living.
Today, he is widely praised on social media for his epic transformation. From sleeping in a tent to winning the man of the series, Yashasvi Jaiswal has come a long way to show the world that anything is possible with sheer intensity, tenacity, grit and determination.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was the highest-run scorer for the Indian cricket team as they comprehensively beat Sri Lanka to clinch the U-19 Asia Cup title in Dhaka on Sunday. The flamboyant opener set the tone for the team early on and continued with a slick flow of batting.
He made it look so easy while going about his business. He chipped in with 113-ball 85 to take his team to a mammoth total of 304/3. at an average of 79.50. This sums up the essential Jaiswal for you!
The U-19 cricketer expressed his interest in the game and he wants to play the fearless brand of cricket. He explained how he overcame all challenges in his life. “I just wanted to play cricket and I want to play for Mumbai. I used to stay in a tent and there was no electricity, washrooms or water facilities there.
To make ends meet, I started working with a food vendor. On occasions, my teammates would turn up and I’d serve them. I felt terrible. But it took that in my stride as it was necessary,” Jaiswal told ESPNCricinfo in an interview.
Turning Point
His life saw a turning point when his talent was well spotted by his coach Jwala Singh in the nets. The youngster almost quit the sport owing to the lack of opportunities, but having observed Jaiswal’s performance, Jwala Singh decided to pick him and train him.
“He was 11-12 years old when I first saw him bat. I was immediately impressed by his performance and he was playing against Division A bowlers with ease. Then my friend told me that he was struggling to find a home and he didn’t have a coach here,” Singh said.
Jaiswal made use of the chances to good effect. He came early to training sessions and trained for hours, grew from strength to strength. He hogged the limelight when he soon found himself in the Limca Book of Records after essaying a staggering unbeaten 319 and registering bowling figures of 13/99, an outstanding record for most runs and wickets in a school cricket match. He gained a lot of fan-following in the local circle and he was announced in the Mumbai U-16 squad before making it to the India U-19 team.
“In the last three years, he has made 51 centuries and has taken 200 wickets. He’s got a habit of making big scores. If he carries on playing like this in big tournaments, I’m very sure he will play for India,” the coach added.
