May 12, 2023
By: Sourabh Jain
Credit: PTI
The story of 21-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal is truly inspiring. Coming from a humble background, Jaiswal has now become one of the key players of Rajasthan Royals in the ongoing IPL 2023.
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Jaiswal, the son of a small shopkeeper in Suriyawan, Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, moved to Mumbai at the age of 10 to become a cricketer after his seniors advised him.
Credit: PTI
Jaiswal’s uncle put him up at a dairy shop, where we worked in the morning and were allowed to stay. As he could not work in the evening after cricket practice, the owner kicked him out.
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Jaiswal then went to Azad Maidan, where he got shelter in a Muslim United Sports Club tent run by Imran sir.
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Jaiswal struggled a lot in the tent as it did not have electricity or a bathroom and was often beaten by others. He was also forced to cook food by other members and was threatened that he would be unable to eat if he didn’t cook.
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Jaiswal used to sell pani puri outside Azad Maidan to earn money at night.
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Jaiswal played matches at the club to earn money or get a day’s meal. He depended on this for his survival.
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Jaiswal’s life changed when he found his coach Jwala Singh in December 2013. He took responsibility for Jaiswal after meeting him and his father.
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Jaiswal’s fortunes turned when he was selected for the under-19 World Cup in 2020. He became the top scorer of the series after scoring 400 runs and was awarded the player of the series.
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Jaiswal debuted in IPL for Rajasthan Royals in 2020 after the team acquired him for ₹2.4 crore in the auction. In the 2023 auction, the team retained Jaiswal for ₹4 crore.
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Jaiswal took the Kolkata Knight Riders bowling line-up to the cleaners, scoring the fastest fifty in IPL history in 13 balls. He went on to score 98 runs, not out in 47 balls.
Credit: PTI