Yashasvi Jaiswal is exploring wicketkeeping as an additional skill ahead of the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season. The Mumbai opener has been working on keeping wickets alongside his primary role as a batter and his practice of leg-spin bowling. Jaiswal kept wickets for approximately 10 overs during one of Mumbai’s practice matches and has shared images on social media showing him in wicketkeeping gloves.
Mumbai captain Siddhesh Lad has confirmed that Jaiswal is actively developing his wicketkeeping abilities as a way to add another dimension to his cricketing skill set. Lad spoke about Jaiswal’s ambitions during Mumbai’s pre-season press conference ahead of the Ranji Trophy campaign.
Adding value to his core strength of batting appears to be Jaiswal’s primary motivation for developing wicketkeeping skills. Lad explained that Jaiswal’s decision to work on this additional dimension could prove beneficial in the future, even if the exact timeline remains uncertain.
“With Yashasvi, I feel he is trying hard to start keeping wickets. That’s what I heard from him. He wants to keep wickets for Mumbai or go on to keep wickets for the Indian team. That’s what he is aiming for. I haven’t got any clarity on that,” Lad was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
Why Jaiswal is practising wicketkeeping
“Maybe he wants to add value to his core strength – that is batting. He kept wickets in one of our practice matches. I don’t have any idea what his plans are but adding a new dimension to your core cricketing skills is not bad. Who knows when and where a chance would arise. He does batting anyway and keeping can add value to his cricket,” Lad said.
Jaiswal is set to feature in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy opener against Chandigarh on October 11 at the Wankhede Stadium. However, he will not be available for subsequent matches in the tournament because of national commitments. Jaiswal is expected to join the Indian team for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, where he will continue his role as the country’s regular Test opener. He has played 28 Test matches for India and also features in the white-ball formats with 6 ODI appearances and 23 T20I caps to his name.
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Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy campaign and the pressure of legacy
Mumbai’s rich history and legacy place considerable expectations on players wearing the team’s jersey. Lad emphasised that the squad is prepared to embrace the pressure that comes with representing a franchise that has won 42 Ranji Trophy titles.
“Given Mumbai’s rich history, the 42 Ranji Trophy titles we have won and the legacy of players who have represented the team, there will always be pressure when you wear the Mumbai jersey. But as a unit, we want to embrace that pressure rather than run away from it. We understand the history and culture that come with representing Mumbai, and we are looking forward to the season,” Lad concluded.
