In a bid to better his chances of breaking into India’s white-ball teams, Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has started working on his wicket-keeping skills.
Yashasvi kept wickets for a few overs during Mumbai’s practice match played in preparation for the Ranji Trophy opener and posted pictures in wicket-keeper’s gear on social media.
Asked about it during the pre-season press conference, skipper Siddhesh Lad said Yashasvi’s aim will eventually be to try and keep wickets in competitive games. “With Yashasvi, I feel he is trying hard to start keeping wickets. That’s what I heard from him. He wants to keep wickets for Mumbai or for the Indian team. That is what he is aiming for, that is what I feel but I haven’t got any clarity on that,” said Lad.
Jaiswal is available for Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy opener against Chandigarh starting at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
There is heavy competition in the top-order in the India T20 and one-day sides. It has been a trend in the India team where good batters, unable to find a place in the playing XI, have taken to wicket-keeping. To fit into the ODI side, KL Rahul has turned from a specialist batter into a keeper-batter. Earlier, under Sourav Ganguly’s captaincy, Rahul Dravid also did the same and played for a considerable time as a keeper-batter in the ODI side.
Yashasvi has been a reserve n the India ODI side as captain Shubman Gill opens the batting with Rohit Sharma. In the T20 side, Yashasvi has not been picked for a long time. His Rajasthan Royals’ opening partner Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been selected as understudy to Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma.
Yashasvi also bowls part-time leg-spin, but keeping wickets looks to be his best bet to make a case for himself in ODIs and T20Is.
