Despite the Mumbai Indians’ outstanding performance in their chase against the Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, Yashasvi Jaiswal of RR received the Player of the Match award for his incredible innings of 124 off 62 balls.
Jaiswal was responsible for more than half of his team’s total runs, with his opening partner Jos Buttler’s 18 off 19 balls being the next highest score. He displayed remarkable hitting prowess, hitting 16 fours and eight sixes before being dismissed in the fourth ball of the 20th over, almost batting through the entire innings.
Jaiswal’s century in the match helped him move to the top position in the Orange Cap standings, surpassing renowned names like Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and David Warner. His impressive tally for the season now stands at 428 runs from nine innings, boasting a strike rate of 159.70 and an average of 47.56. In addition to his century, he has also scored three half-centuries in the tournament so far.
Not too long ago, Jaiswal found himself in a unique living situation while pursuing his cricketing dreams. When he arrived in Mumbai from his hometown of Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh seeking cricket coaching at the Azad Maidan, he had been evicted from the shop he was working at in the Kalbadevi neighbourhood.
Jaiswal had to reside in a tent beside the groundsmen at the Maidan and even took up selling pani puri to make ends meet. Reflecting on his journey, Jaiswal shared that these experiences have left an indelible mark on his life. He expressed these sentiments ahead of last year’s Ranji Trophy semi-finals between Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh.
“I still think and live the same way. I haven’t made any extraordinary changes in my life, and I am not going to either. I want to move forward in the same way I have done so far. I know how much hard work and dedication it takes to achieve what you want. So I will be like that. I know myself. I am so blessed. Thank you, God, and thank you cricket. Seriously.”
