“No Food, No House”: How India Star Yashasvi Jaiswal Began His Cricket Journey

Rising youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal’s coach, Jwala Singh, believes his prodigy can become the “next legend” of Indian cricket in the next four or five years. Jaiswal is the latest star in Indian cricket. He showed potential for the future the moment he made his Test debut in 2023 against the West Indies. Since that moment, Jaiswal has gone from strength to strength and established himself as an all-format player with a string of consistent performances. With the young southpaw continuing his journey of establishing himself as the next big thing in the world of cricket, Jwala exuded confidence in Jaiswal and his potential to become the next legend.

“I think that in four or five years, yes, he can become the next legend of Indian cricket. I think the goal is not only to represent India, but the goal is also to become the next legend,” Jwala said as quoted from The Sydney Morning Herald.

Jwala, a Mumbai cricket coach, has seen numerous kids batting on Azad Maidan, but it was in Jaiswal that he saw the potential of becoming the next prospect in Indian cricket.

A decade ago, when Jwala finished watching a routine academy game, his eyes fell on two boys batting in the nets. The right-handed complained about the uneven surface, while the left-handed adapted to the surface without making much of a fuss about it.

That was the moment Jwala realised he had seen something special in the boy. He approached the young boy and asked him who he was.

“My friend started saying that this boy doesn’t have a house, doesn’t have food, and he is just around 12 years of age, and he said that I have a fear that he may run into the wrong hands and can lose his life,” Singh said.

“Then that small boy came out from the nets, and he just removed his helmet, and so I asked him, ‘What’s your name?’ He said, ‘My name is Yashasvi Jaiswal.’ So I said, ‘Where are you living?’ and, ‘Where are you from?’ He said, I’m from Uttar Pradesh, I live in a tent … and I’m staying here alone for cricket,” he added.

Two years before meeting Jwala by chance, Jaiswal had travelled to Mumbai from his hometown, Suriyawan, with his father, Bhupendra.

The plan was to simply visit the city, but Jaiswal cleared his intention of staying in Mumbai and trying to make a career in cricket. He initially lived with his uncle but moved into the groundsmen’s tent at the maidan due to little space in his relative’s home.

Jwala knew the rare talent Jaiswal possessed, but in the young boy, he could also see a younger version of himself. Jwala himself had travelled from Uttar Pradesh to become a Test cricketer, so he understood Jaiswal’s determination to defy the odds.

Jwala played professional cricket but could never realise his dream. However, he was aware of Jaiswal’s determination to go all the way to the top.

“As he was talking about himself, I really started thinking that this is the same story [as me]. I was struggling when I came to Mumbai, so I think that motivates me a lot, that this is the boy to fulfil my dreams. I promised myself years back that I will make an India player,” he said.

“So this is the boy where I can work [it] out. And then I said, OK, don’t worry, you just come to my academy. I’ll spend a few days with you, and if I feel there’s something, I will definitely help you,” he added.

Jaiswal moved into Jwala’s house in 2013 and ramped up his preparations for becoming a global star. Apart from refining Jaiswal’s technique, Jwala also had to build the youngster’s mental strength.

“He was a very small boy, there was a lack of confidence because people had put a lot of doubts in his brain,” Jwala said.

“Psychologically, he was very down. His fitness was not that great because he had a knee injury. So if I tell you frankly that it was my passion to make him my [first] India player,” he added.

India’s leading Test run-getter in 2024, Jaiswal, will be in action against Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy beginning on Friday in Perth.

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