Yashasvi Jaiswal: From Pani Puri Seller to IPL Century Maker - A Tale of Inspiration!

05/01/2023

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Yashasvi Jaiswal, the young prodigy, is making a mark in the ongoing IPL season with his remarkable performance. His maiden century has propelled him to the top of the Orange Cap standings. However, his start wasn’t very glamorous as he even had to sell pani-puri during his struggling days.

Despite the Mumbai Indians' remarkable record chase against the Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, it was Yashasvi Jaiswal of RR who earned the Player of the Match award for his stunning innings of 124 off 62 balls. Jaiswal accounted for over half of his team's total runs, with his opening partner Jos Buttler's 18 off 19 balls being the next highest score. Displaying remarkable hitting prowess, Jaiswal struck 16 fours and eight sixes, only getting dismissed in the fourth ball of the 20th over, having almost batted through the entire innings.

With his century in the match, Jaiswal moved to the leading position in the Orange Cap standings, surpassing renowned names such as Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and David Warner. Jaiswal's impressive tally for the season now stands at 428 runs from nine innings, boasting a strike rate of 159.70 and an average of 47.56. In addition to his century, he has also notched up three half-centuries in the tournament so far.

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s impressive records

The exceptional performance of Yashasvi Jaiswal comes as no surprise to those familiar with his young career. Widely recognized as one of India's most promising talents across all formats, Jaiswal has displayed remarkable consistency. Since his debut in first-class cricket for Mumbai in January 2019, he has amassed an impressive total of 1,845 runs in just 15 matches, boasting an outstanding average of 80.21 and an impressive strike rate of 67.48. His record includes nine centuries and two half-centuries.

Notably, Jaiswal holds the distinction of being the youngest player to score a double century in 50-over cricket. Additionally, he emerged as the highest run-scorer in the 2020 U-19 World Cup, despite India losing to Bangladesh in the final. In that tournament, Jaiswal accumulated 400 runs in six matches, featuring one century and four half-centuries.

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Rise from Poverty

Not long ago, Jaiswal found himself in a unique living situation while pursuing his cricketing dreams. Upon arriving in Mumbai from his hometown of Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh, he sought cricket coaching at the Azad Maidan. However, due to being evicted from the shop he was working at in the Kalbadevi neighbourhood, Jaiswal resided in a tent alongside the groundsmen at the Maidan. To make ends meet, he even took up selling pani puri. Reflecting on his journey, Jaiswal expressed that these experiences have left an indelible mark on his life. He shared these sentiments ahead of last year's Ranji Trophy semi-finals between Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh.

"I still think the same and I stay the same. I haven't made any extraordinary changes in my life, and I am not going to either. I want to move forward in the same way I've done so far. I know how much hard work and dedication it takes to achieve what you want. So I will be like that. I know myself. I am so blessed. Thank you, God, and thank you cricket. Seriously."

Jaiswal

How did Yashasvi Jaiswal start in cricket?

Jaiswal's exceptional talent caught the attention of coach Jwala Singh, based in Santacruz, who became his mentor and offered him a place to reside. It didn't take long for Jaiswal to make waves with his batting prowess. His breakthrough moment arrived in 2015 during a Giles Shield match, where he amassed an unbeaten 319 runs and claimed figures of 13/99, setting a remarkable all-round record in school cricket that was acknowledged by the Limca Book of Records.

This outstanding performance earned him a spot in the Mumbai U16 squad, and he later progressed to the U19 squad. Jaiswal's consistent performances led to his selection in the Indian U19 team, where he emerged as the leading run-scorer and was named the player of the tournament in the 2018 U19 Asia Cup. Subsequently, he made his senior debut in first-class cricket for Mumbai during the 2018/19 Ranji Trophy season.

In other news, Who said what ft. Tim David, Yashasvi Jaiswal

Inspiring!

On his mission to prove himself to the world, @ybj_19 also proved that the toughest people are the ones that outlast tough times. 💪

Here's to your hard-earned success, Yashasvi! We #Believe in you!#IPLOnStar #GameOn #BetterTogether pic.twitter.com/kjlX8HvFib
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 1, 2023