Yashasvi Jaiswal Reportedly Wants to Continue with Mumbai After Facing Backlash over Unprecedented Goa Move

Facing criticism, Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has surprisingly reversed his decision to move from Mumbai to Goa in domestic cricket.

Yashasvi Jaiswal Reportedly Wants to Continue with Mumbai After Facing Backlash over Unprecedented Goa Move

Yashasvi Jaiswal has reversed his decision to shift domestic allegiance from Mumbai to Goa. (via India Today)

Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, in a shocking turn of events, has reportedly reversed his decision to switch domestic cricket allegiance from Mumbai to Goa, following backlash. He has withdrawn his request for the No-Objection Certificate, from the Mumbai Cricket Association.

Yashasvi Jaiswal had announced his decision to quit the state team of Mumbai to switch playing for Goa. The 23-year-old opener was expected to represent Goa from the 2025-26 domestic season. He revealed that the Goa Cricket Association had offered him a leadership role in the team. It also came after the team most recently got promoted to the Ranji Trophy elite division, from the lower-ranked Plate group.

Last month, Jaiswal sought an NOC from the MCA to move to Goa. The exact motivation behind the young Indian opener’s wish to leave Mumbai remained undisclosed, though sources hinted at a possible feud between him and Ajinkya Rahane. The friction between the two allegedly boiled down to a point when Rahane, Mumbai’s captain, publicly questioned Jaiswal’s commitment following the team’s Ranji defeat, this year.

However, Yashavi Jaiswal has reportedly overturned his decision to switch from Mumbai to Goa. He has taken a u-turn, writing to the MCA officials to retract his NOC. The 23-year-old has made himself available for Mumbai in the upcoming domestic season. In an email to the MCA, Jaiswal, who moved to Mumbai from Uttar Pradesh at the age of 11, stated that he has called off plans to relocate to Goa with his family.

I would request your goodself to consider my request in withdrawing my NOC given to me as I had some family plans in shifting to Goa which for now has been curtailed. So I sincerely request MCA to allow me to play for Mumbai this season!

Yashasvi Jaiswal in his letter to MCA (H/T Deccan Herald)

While the MCA is yet to make a decision on Jaiswal’s future, certain reports suggest that the significant backlash that he faced after deciding to move to Goa, is what prompted a change in heart. Among critics was former Mumbai opener Wasim Jaffer, who disapproved of the 23-year-old’s initial decision. Jaffer had stated that a player of Jaiswal’s age and talent should make better decisions, that would help him become an all-format player for India.

Nonetheless, the fiasco surrounding the opener’s shift in domestic cricket is unlikely to have an impact on his role within the Indian Test side. Yashasvi Jaiswal has been India’s best red-ball performer over the past year, and is ranked number four among Test batters in the world. Across 19 international matches, Jaiswal has scored 1798 runs at an average of 52.88, hitting ten fifties and four centuries.

Had he finalized his move from Mumbai to Goa in domestic cricket, he would have been the third Mumbai player in recent years to represent Goa. He would have joined Arjun Tendulkar and Siddhesh Lad in a growing list of players who have moved to smaller Ranji teams in recent years.

Yashasvi Jaiswal among candidates to become India’s Test vice-captain, ahead of England tour

The BCCI has a key decision to make ahead of India’s upcoming five-match Test series in England, which is the appointment of a new captain and vice-captain for the team. It has been prompted by Rohit Sharma’s recent social media announcement of his retirement from red-ball cricket. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal vice-captain Indian Test team
Yashasvi Jaiswal remains a leading contender to take over as India’s vice-captain in Tests. (via Telegraph)

The team management is reportedly looking for a new and younger face to lead the Men in Blue. While Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah have emerged as captaincy contenders, a new vice-captain could also be appointed for the England tour. Yashasvi Jaiswal is being touted as a possible option, despite the 23-year-old having no experience of captaining a major team across any format, in India.

Jaiswal’s rise to the top as India’s best red-ball player over the last two years, has put him in contention for India’s vice-captaincy. Besides the 23-year-old Mumbai batsman, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul are also potential candidates for India’s Test vice-captaincy.