Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Credit: PTI Fie Photo
Harare: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have done "incredible things" for the Indian team, and Yashasvi Jaiswal doesn't want him or his opening partner Shubman Gill to face the burden of expectations so early in their careers.
Rohit and Kohli both announced their retirements from T20 Internationals after India's World Cup triumph and Jaiswal, who was a part of that victorious team, termed it a "blessing" to share the change room with the two contemporary greats.
"I think what they have done for Indian cricket is just incredible and being a part of that dressing room is a blessing. We (him and Gill) are trying to take it match-by-match and one day at a time, focussing on the process," Jaiswal, who scored an unbeaten 93 and shared an unbroken 156-run stand with skipper Gill in a 10-wicket victory over Zimbabwe, told reporters in a media interaction.
Unlike other youngsters, who start with the shortest format and then move on to traditional forms, it has been the other way round for the Mumbai southpaw, who established himself as a Test opener and now is showing his T20 prowess.
So, does it help if one has played Test cricket? "It does help to control emotions a lot and read the game better as there are different situations on the ground. And every time you talk to Rohit bhai or Virat bhaiyya, I get a lot of experience, enjoy talking to them and learning from them," Jaiswal said.
For someone with a wide range of shots in his repertoire, Jaiswal believes that it is only practice that can make a man perfect.
"I think its not easy and work hard on my practice and try to prepare a lot and try to execute nd express myself and enjoy the game.
"My mindset is simple. If I have to take someone (a bowler) on, I will take him on and keep believing that I can do it," said the 22-year-old, who has scored 631 runs at a strike-rate of 161 plus in 19 T20Is.
Life has changed completely in last one year as he tasted stardom but Jaiswal is still processing it.
"To be honest, a lot of things happened in my life. I am really enjoying it. I just try take one day at a time and make sure I enjoy the moment which is very important.
"Everything else is in God's hands and whatever he gives, I will take it," he concluded.