Yashasvi Jaiswal - Betting On His Batting

From living in a tent and being an "errand boy" to opening for Rajasthan Royals, Yashasvi Jaiswal has lived a long life at just 20

- Pooja Biraia Jaiswal

An 11-year-old boy from a tiny village in Uttar Pradesh dreams of making it big in cricket. With absolute conviction in his talent and a hunger for opportunities, he travels to Mumbai, the city of Sachin Tendulkar. He brings with him a small steel trunk box, a mosquito net, a folding cot and a heart full of hope.

A handful of years later, Yashasvi Jaiswal scores a century and four fifties en route to becoming player of the tournament in the 2019 U19 ODI World Cup. He then gets picked up by Rajasthan Royals in the 2020 IPL season and is now on the ever-expanding list of young Indian bats to watch out for. That he is one for the future was evident in the fact that the franchise retained him before the auction for ₹4 crore this year. “I have dreamed a lot, and that is enough to keep me busy for the next couple of years,” Yashasvi tells THE WEEK on a video call. “This is just the start. I have a very long way to go and I know I will stay the course.”

Though he is still settling into his role as the opener for RR, Yashasvi did play some impact knocks, such as the 68* against Punjab Kings. “[That was] one such day that I will tattoo on my body so that I don’t forget it,” he says. “It was very important for me.”