Meet Yashasvi Jaiswal, Another of IPL’s Slumdog Stories

Since its inception in 2007, IPL has changed many a lives. While it has been a path for a few youngsters to make it to the international level, for many who haven’t been able to make it to the top stage, it has been a platform in itself. For 17-year old Yashasvi Jaiswal, among a few others, the 2020 IPL auction has proved to be fruitful. From selling pani puri on a roadside stall, he has now sealed an IPL contract of Rs. 2.40 crores with the Rajasthan Royals.

Born in Suriya, Uttar Pradesh to a shopkeeper and a teacher, his daily routine as a 11-year old was much more strenuous than most other kids at that age. He started playing cricket at the age of 10 after moving to Mumbai, at a time when he had to search for places to live.

Jaiswal’s big transformation began when his coach Singh, himself a cricket aspirant during his times, saw him stroking beautifully in the nets. Apart from his sheer determination to play, Singh has an influential role in making in Jaiswal what he is now.

The prospect of a lucrative IPL bid was already on cards when Jaiswal, last month, became the youngest player to score List-A double hundred. He had smashed 203 runs off 154 balls in a Vijay Hazare trophy match. Throughout the season, he scored  564 runs at an astounding average of 112.80.

“I am very happy. It’s a great opportunity for me to learn. I want to learn as much as I can during my time with Rajasthan Royals. It is a platform for me to make a name for myself,” Jaiswal said after securing the Rs. 2.40 crore contract.

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Jaiswal currently plays for the Indian U-19 side and will be looking forward for the U-19 World Cup in South Africa next year. Success or failure, for Jaiswal, cricket has always been a game to enjoy.

“Cricket is a game where 40 out of 50 times you aren’t successful,” he had said as per an article of him published on Live Mint. “Ten times you succeed. The best thing is to enjoy. The day you get runs it’s important to be happy because other days it’s not so easy. You need to be normal whether it’s going well or not.”

Read: Who is Virat Singh: The Youngster Who Went for 1.9 Crore to SRH in the IPL Auctions 2020