“Khud pe bharosa”, which translates to self-belief in English, has been an oft-repeated phrase in Yashasvi Jaiswal’s lexicon. Will power and tenacity are tools that have helped him overcome the challenges in life as he has never shied away from the penchant to work hard.
Having lived in a tent on the Azad Maidan in Mumbai, he would often have to wade through knee-deep water during the monsoons and counter several other hardships to chase his dream. Those life lessons made him stronger mentally as he went on conquering the odds in quest for success. The attitude to learn and improve has seen him script a fairy-tale debut in Test cricket.
Having been groomed at the Vengsarkar Cricket Academy in Mumbai, he kept raising the bar from an early age. An exposure trip to England with the academy saw Jaiswal break into the Mumbai under-16 side.
A century and four 50-plus scores in the U-19 World Cup in 2020 earned him a Rs 2.4 crore contract with Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL season. There was no looking back following a stupendous IPL 2023 and the 21-year-old has now made sure his Test debut will be a memorable one too. In conditions where even Virat Kohli struggled to cut loose, Jaiswal looked at home with his temperament and shot selection.
“I’m happy that he has managed to establish himself at the first given opportunity. His application was exemplary and the discipline and the determination Jaiswal showed to perform will help him a long way in his career,” Vengsarkar told The Telegraph on Friday.
“The most important thing during his innings was that he never let go of an opportunity to score and there weren’t any loose shots. Such has been his focus on debut that you have got to applaud,” the former India captain and chief selector remarked.
What was his message to the youngster when he met him at the Oval Maidan before leaving for the West Indies?“I reminded him about the significance of the opportunity and told him that he shouldn’t let it go but grab it with both hands.
“I also told him to be consistent since at this level consistency matters. Single-minded devotion has to be there... Work hard and be focused and then things will fall into place,” Vengsarkar said.
Thrilled to see his ward perform to potential, Vengsarkar reminded that “not getting swayed by success besides handling pressure and expectations” were equally important for Jaiswal.
The opener was humility personified after the memorable second day of the Test.
“Getting to the century was an emotional moment...” Jaiswal said in Dominica. “This is the start of my career so I’ll strive to take that as long as possible too and see how focused and disciplined I can be going ahead.
“It was very emotional for me, for my family. And for all those who have supported me throughout because it has been a long journey for me. I want to thank everyone who has helped in any way along the way and want to dedicate this to my parents because they’ve had a big influence on my life. Don’t want to say too much... I am happy, but this is the start. I need to keep up the good work,” he added.
It is his faith in “khud pe bharosa” which has brought him this far and Jaiswal is not one to remain content.
