Rohit Sharma's wake-up call sparked Yashasvi Jaiswal's Mumbai U-turn in a month: ‘You must not forget…'

Hindustan Times

5 hours ago

Just a month after deciding to move to Goa for the 2025–26 domestic season—a decision that reportedly left the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) 'surprised'—Yashasvi Jaiswal made a U-turn. He had initially approached the MCA in April, seeking a no-objection certificate (NOC) to facilitate the switch, but soon requested to continue playing for Mumbai. The reversal, it turns out, was influenced by India ODI captain Rohit Sharma. Yashasvi Jaiswal's Mumbai U-turn was influenced by India ODI captain Rohit Sharma.(AP)
MCA president Ajinkya Naik, speaking to the Times of India, revealed that Rohit had personally advised Jaiswal to stay with Mumbai, reminding him of the platform the team had provided.
'Rohit asked Yashasvi to stay on in Mumbai at this stage of his career. He explained that there is a lot of pride and prestige in playing for Mumbai, which has won the Ranji Trophy a record 42 times. Rohit also told him to remember that it was because of Mumbai cricket he got a platform to play for India and that he should be grateful,' Naik said.
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Naik added that Jaiswal also consulted with other stalwarts of Mumbai cricket before emailing the MCA to withdraw his NOC application. The association approved his request.
Jaiswal shares a strong rapport with Rohit, with the two having formed a successful opening pair in Test cricket until Rohit retired from the format in May 2025.
Rohit was recently spotted on Day 3 of the final Test against England at The Oval, where Jaiswal had scored a century. After the match, the 23-year-old revealed a brief chat with Rohit during the game:
'I saw Rohit bhai and said hi. He gave me the message to keep playing,' Jaiswal told reporters.
Jaiswal also spoke about the influence of senior players like Rohit and Virat Kohli on his game:
'I think that's how you need to plan your game—your innings—knowing where your shots are and where the runs will come from. Playing with Rohit bhai, Virat bhai has helped me grow as a person. Seeing what they've done in Test cricket and how they prepare has been a huge learning,' he added.