Yashasvi’s success is a metaphor for inclusive Mumbai
Amid all the high-voltage international cricket being played currently, not the least India versus New Zealand, the spotlight last week was on an 18-year-old from Mumbai – Yashasvi Jaiswal – whose sensational batting has lit up the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. India is in the final of the tournament (to be played on Sunday) through excellent team effort. Bowlers and batsmen have stepped up when most needed, and the fielding has been top class. However, it would not be undermining any other player’s efforts to highlight Yashasvi’s delectable batting, which has seen the team succeed in the two most daunting matches yet.
In the quarter-final against Australia, the left-handed opener top-scored with 62 as India U-19 won by 74 runs. In the even more high-pressure semi-final against Pakistan, Yashasvi went one better, making a scintillating undefeated 105 as India hammered its arch-rivals by 10 wickets.
The story of Yashasvi’s rise in cricket is both poignant and inspiring. Originally from Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh , he had to pursue his passion for the game without any worthwhile financial support. Essentially, he had ambition and commitment for cricket.
His father, a sweetmeat seller, made an attempt at business in Mumbai. It didn’t take off and he returned to his hometown disappointed. Yashasvi was obsessed with cricket and wouldn’t budge from the city. To make ends meet, he used to sell paani puri on the periphery of Azad Maidan, where he pursued cricket. Because he showed prowess at the sport, he got to sleep in a tent adjoining the Muslim United Sports Club ground. He was lucky to be spotted and mentored by Jwala Singh, among the countless unsung coaches who provide yeoman service to maidan cricket, and by extension to Indian cricket. Yashasvi’s career took a dramatic upswing in 2019 when he was picked for Mumbai for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring a whopping 564 runs in the tournament. This brought him on the radar of important decision-makers in Indian cricket. In the IPL auction in December last year, he was among the ‘surprise picks’; Rajasthan Royals bagged him for ₹2.4 crore, 12 times more than his base price of ₹20 lakh! A few weeks later, he was in the squad for the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa.
Yashasvi’s nascent cricket career makes for a fascinating chapter in the ‘emerging India‘ story already. But there is also another dimension to it which has little to do with sport, and everything to do with Mumbai and its cosmopolitan ethos. Across the country, there is a growing and regrettable clamour of xenophobic politics, sectarian interests, and identity politics. In Mumbai too migrants have been vilified for shortterm political gain at times, upsetting the rhythm and cosmopolitan texture of the city. The challenge is not only a wonderful legacy but also the rich diversity the city benefits from, and which still makes it India’s Urbs Prima. This is so well reflected in the Mumbai cricket team where Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Sarfraz Khan, Shams Mullani, Royston Dias – and Yashasvi Jaiswal too — all trace their origin to other states but come together in common endeavour. This is not restricted to cricket but extends to other endeavours too. This makes Mumbai special and must be preserved.