India’s opening shared a video on his social media where he was seen donning the gloves during a Mumbai practice match ahead of the Ranji season.
When mid-day.com asked Mumbai’s Ranji skipper Siddhesh Lad about it, he said that Jaiswal does have ambitions to take up wicketkeeping in the future and is seriously working on the skill.
“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, I feel, but I haven’t got any clarity on that,” Lad said during a press conference in Mumbai on Thursday.
Jaiswal is set to play the first game of the season for Mumbai, starting on Sunday against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium.
Ajinkya Rahane will be a huge miss, says Siddhesh Lad
This will be the first time in 15 years that Mumbai will start a Ranji season without the services of .The former Indian star announced his retirement from all forms of professional cricket earlier this year.
Speaking about Rahane’s impact on the Mumbai team, Lad said his experience was invaluable.
“Personally for me, I got to learn a lot from Ajinkya. He is someone who has given his heart and soul for the Mumbai team and the Indian team. Ajinkya has everyone’s respect in the Mumbai team, and he is always available on call whenever we need him. Ajinkya’s experience has been very valuable for us,” said.
On his captaincy style, Lad said he wants to keep Mumbai’s winning culture intact, focusing mainly on communication with the players and clarity of their roles in the team.
“As a captain, I don’t want to change a lot because I have played under great captains like Ajinkya and Shardul. The team culture is always there in a Mumbai dressing room, so I don’t want to change a lot. The only thing I want to work on is communication and clarity with the players,” Siddhesh Lad concluded.
Mumbai will begin their quest for a record-extending 43rd Ranji title on Sunday against Chandigarh.