India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal recently registered his maiden ODI hundred during the three-match series against the Proteas, partnered with Rohit Sharma at the other end. Incidentally, the former India skipper was also at the non-striker’s end when the young left-hander scored his maiden Test hundred in his debut match back in 2023.
Revisiting both the knocks, Yashasvi Jaiswal opened up on how Rohit Sharma played a key role behind the scenes as well as in the middle to help him reach the milestones.
Speaking to Vimal Kumar on his YouTube channel, Jaiswal revealed Rohit’s words before his Test debut.
“He kept telling me, ‘You’re free—go out there, play freely, play your shots with confidence. But try that if you get set, then make it a big innings.’ So there were many such conversations.”
He added, “Almost fifteen days before, he had already told me,” Jaiswal recalled. “He said, ‘I won’t tell you just one day before that you’re playing. I’m telling you fifteen days in advance—you’re going to play. Prepare yourself. We’ll prepare together, and we’ll do it properly.’ That was his thought process.”
On his recent ton during the decisive IND vs SA 3rd ODI, Jaiswal was once again grateful for how Rohit Sharma helped him navigate tough situations and record his first ODI hundred.
Yashasvi said, “Initially I was not being able to time the ball well but Rohit (bhai) kept speaking to me constantly. He was telling me to be patient and play good cricketing shots. There were a lot of dot balls happenings so he only started taking the chances so I could play my normal game and I don’t feel much pressure since I was struggling a bit. Once I had dealt with the initial pressure and I scored my fifty, Rohit backed me to take on the attack.”
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With the next ICC event – the T20 World Cup 2026 around the corner, slated to begin early next year in February, all focus will now shift to the shortest format. The Indian squad for the same has also been announced but Yashasvi Jaiswal failed to secure a spot with Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan being preferred as the left-handed openers in the side.
Ahead of the T20 WC where India will enter as defending champions, they will also play a white-ball series against the Kiwis as a final dress rehearsal. While Jaiswal wasn’t named in the T20I squad, it is expected he will retain his place in ODI side as India simultaneously keeps preparing for the 2027 ODI World Cup too.
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