From Selling Pani Puris, To Youngest Double Ton And Now IPL Crorepati - Yashasvi Jaiswal's Inspiring Story Continues

Yashasvi Jaiswal was keenly watching the IPL auction on the mobile feed of Hotstar. The youngster had already made a big mark when he put up a solid display in the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Before the IPL 2020 player auction, there were reports that the Under-19 players would be rewarded for their display and in Kolkata, they were. Jaiswal was taken for Rs 2.4 crore by Rajasthan Royals while Priyam Garg, who is the captain of the Under-19 team heading for the World Cup in South Africa, was taken for Rs 1.9 crore by Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Jaiswal, at 17 years and 293 days, created history in the ongoing 2019 Vijay Hazare Trophy. During the game between Mumbai and Jharkhand at Alur, Jaiswal, playing for Mumbai became the youngest double centurion in the history of List A cricket. Jaiswal blasted 203 off 154 balls and the knock included 17 fours and 12 sixes as Mumbai reached 358/3. Jharkhand made a superb response with Virat Singh smashing a century but they fell short by 39 runs. However, all eyes were on Jaiswal and his historic record-breaking feat. This was not the first time where Jaiswal had impressed.

In the game against Goa, Jaiswal smashed 113 off 123 balls and Mumbai won by 130 runs. In the Tri-Nation Under 19s tournament which featured India, England and Bangladesh, Jaiswal smashed four fifties in seven games and smashed 294 runs at an average of 42. However, in order to attain success, Jaiswal had to undergo plenty of pressures off the field in order to get where he is. Born in the Bhadohi district in Uttar Pradesh, Jaiswal moved to Mumbai in order to have a better future.

For the first three years, in order to survive, he had to sell pani puris and sleep in a tent in Azad Maidan. In an exclusive chat with the Indian Express, Jaiswal outlined his struggles. "During Ram Leela, I earned well. I prayed that my teammates would not come there for pani-puri. Sometimes they did and I would feel bad serving them. I always used to see boys my age bringing food or their parents had big lunches with them. As for me, it was — khana khud banao, khud khao. (make your own food, eat alone). No breakfast. Catch hold of anyone around and request them to buy breakfast," Jaiswal told the Indian Express.

He talked about how the struggles outside of the cricket field have made him strong to face pressure on the ground. "You are talking about mental pressure in cricket? I have faced it daily in my life for years. Those have made me strong. Scoring runs is not important. I know I will score and take wickets. For me, whether I get the next meal or not, that’s important. I remember the days when I was almost shameless. I used to go with my teammates for lunch, knowing that I didn’t have any money. I would tell them, 'paisa nahi hai, bhook hai'," Jaiswal said.

Also Read | From Selling Pani Puris To Youngest List A Double Centurion - The Story Of Yashasvi Jaiswal

The rest of the session saw plenty of players go unsold but Virat Singh, the Jharkhand batsman, was snapped by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 1.9 crore. Varun Chakravarthy, who was the biggest bid in the 2019 IPL auction with Rs 8.4 crore, was taken by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 4 crore. Tushar Deshpande was taken for Rs 20 lakhs by Delhi Capitals.

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