He played a 45-ball-67 knock last night against the Punjab Kings.
During an ESPN Cricinfo show, the former India player Wasim Jaffer suggested Rajasthan Royals (RR) youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal focus on representing India in all three formats instead of playing in the Ranji Trophy. His sudden decision to shift his domestic cricket base from Mumbai to Goa left everyone stunned. Later, the 23-year-old revealed that he took the decision for a leadership opportunity.
“He shouldn’t be looking to play Ranji Trophy. For somebody like him, he should be playing for India in all three formats. That should be his focus,” opined Jaffer.
He also attributed this incident to the recent decrease in Jaiswal’s form. He felt that Jaiswal was “trying too hard” early in the game.
“I’m sure it [the move] is playing on his mind. Because that has been happening in this week or two. But yes, runs from him is very, very vital for Rajasthan Royals. He’s looking a little bit off-colour; trying too hard, trying too hard, too early,” said the former player.
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Wasim Jaffer shared his displeasure over Jaiswal’s decision to leave Mumbai. Despite the captaincy offer from Goa, he should have stuck with Mumbai, felt Jaffer.
“No matter what Goa was offering him. You don’t leave Mumbai, especially at this age. It’s okay if somebody is 34-35 then you want to go out,” he added.
The former batter also revealed that the decision was “shocking” to him. By reckoning Jaiswal as a “powerhouse”, Jaffer stated that his choice to shift to Goa after representing a strong team like Mumbai for so long made him “surprised”.
“I think leaving Mumbai is a shocking decision. He’s a powerhouse. Somebody who has played from Under-14s to now, for Mumbai, and Goa being a plate-group team that has just come into the elite group – for him to go and play there, whatever time he will spend on first-class cricket, I am surprised he’s taken that decision so soon,” he said.
Notably, the southpaw was axed from India’s Champions Trophy squad at the last minute. He also struggled in the first three matches of the IPL 2025. After being dismissed for one and four in RR’s initial fixtures, Jaiswal managed to score a 24-ball-29 against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
However, last night, he put on a show with his 45-ball-67. His fierce knock at Mullanpur included three boundaries and five sixes at a strike rate of 148.88. Eventually, RR won the match by 50 runs.
With the latest win over the Punjab Kings, RR has now won two out of their four games in the IPL 2025. They will lock horns with the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on April 9.
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