What Yashasvi Jaiswal brings to the table for Goa after leaving Mumbai

NEW DELHI: In a significant move, India’s Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has decided to part ways with Mumbai and shift to Goa for the upcoming domestic season. The 23-year-old will take on the captaincy role for Goa in the 2025-26 season. On Tuesday, Jaiswal formally requested a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to make the switch, which the MCA subsequently granted.Jaiswal follows a growing trend of Mumbai cricketers moving to Goa, a path previously taken by Arjun Tendulkar, Siddhesh Lad, and Eknath Kerkar in recent years.After the BCCI’s directive requiring players to participate in domestic cricket for their respective state teams, Jaiswal featured in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy campaign during the 2024-25 season. However, he had a quiet outing, scoring just 4 and 26 in a five-wicket loss to Jammu and Kashmir at the MCA ground in BKC, Mumbai.Initially left out of India’s Champions Trophy squad but included as a non-traveling reserve, Jaiswal was later drafted into Mumbai’s Ranji squad for their semifinal clash against Vidarbha in Nagpur on February 17. However, he withdrew from the match a day before due to an ankle injury.Also See: IPL Live Score, RCB vs GTDespite hailing from Bhadohi village in Uttar Pradesh, Jaiswal shares a deep emotional connection with Mumbai, where he has spent his formative years in cricket. As a youngster, he lived in a tent at the Muslim United SC in Azad Maidan and even sold panipuris in the evenings to make ends meet before his mentor, Jwala Singh, took him under his wing in Santa Cruz. His journey took a significant turn in 2015 when former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar facilitated a UK exposure tour for him with his academy team.Jaiswal first caught attention with big scores for Rizvi Springfield School in the Harris Shield, followed by impressive performances for Mumbai’s Under-16, Under-19, and Under-23 teams, paving his way into the senior side.Currently, Jaiswal is struggling for form in IPL 2025 while representing Rajasthan Royals, managing just 34 runs in three matches at an average of 11.33 and a strike rate of 106.25. However, his credentials remain strong, as he was one of India’s standout performers in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring 391 runs in five Tests at an average of 43.44, including a century and two half-centuries.Jaiswal made his first-class debut for Mumbai in January 2019 against Chhattisgarh at the Wankhede Stadium. Since then, he has amassed 3,712 first-class runs, including 12 centuries and 12 fifties, across 36 matches, with most of those runs coming for Mumbai. His performances in domestic cricket propelled him into national contention.A defining moment in his career came in October 2019 when, at just 17, he became the youngest player to score a double century in List A cricket, hammering 203 off 154 balls against Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. In June 2022, he further cemented his reputation with twin centuries (100 & 181) against Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy.Now, as Jaiswal embarks on a new chapter with Goa, all eyes will be on how he adapts to his new role as captain and whether he can rediscover his best form.