"Had taken him to England when he was 14 or 15 years of age" - Dilip Vengsarkar on spotting Yashasvi Jaiswal's talent at a young age
Former Team India chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar has recalled taking Yashasvi Jaiswal to England during his teenage years and immediately being impressed with his talent and hunger to succeed.
The 22-year-old came into the limelight when he finished as the leading run-scorer in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup with 400 runs in six games. Jaiswal's career has since taken off with dominating performances in first-class cricket and the IPL, resulting in his national selection last year.
Speaking to RevSportz, Vengsarkar praised Jaiswal for his dedication from a young age.
"I had taken him to England when he was 14 or 15 years of age, and as we all know, he comes from a very humble background. In England, he scored in every match and we could see the hunger in him. I knew this kid would go places with the talent he possessed," said Vengsarkar.
"He then went on to play for India U-19 and scored plenty of runs in the World Cup, which supported his cause by getting picked by the IPL franchise, Rajasthan Royals. I am extremely happy about him and now he is the captain of Dadar Union as well, where I played for 25 years," he added.
Jaiswal was the fifth-leading run-scorer in the 2023 IPL with 625 runs at an average of 48.07 and a strike rate of over 163, including a century and five half-centuries.
The youngster also scored a magnificent 171 on his Test debut against the West Indies and smashed his maiden double century in the recent Test against England in Visakhapatnam. Jaiswal has also played 17 T20Is for India since debuting last year and boasts an impressive average of over 33 with a strike rate of almost 162.
"Provide opportunity to these youngsters when they are in great form" - Dilip Vengsarkar
Dilip Vengsarkar emphasized the importance of handing youngsters opportunities when in great form with the examples of Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan.
While Patidar has finally debuted for India in the ODI and Test format over the past two months, Sarfaraz is yet to feature in the national side despite earning a call-up to the Test squad for the ongoing England series.
"There are a lot of good players all around. I think [Rajat] Patidar is good and I watched him play around four years ago. However, he did not get an opportunity back then. Sarfaraz [Khan] is good as well, but he also has not gotten the opportunity at the right time," he elaborated.
"I think the timing has to be precise in these situations – provide opportunity to these youngsters when they are in great form. If you lose that time, then the player might lose his form, interest, or fitness," Vengsarkar added.
Vengsarkar played a crucial role in spotting Virat Kohli's talent in the 2000s, leading to his eventual selection against Sri Lanka in 2008.
The rest is history, as Kohli has become one of the most accomplished batters, with over 26,700 international runs and 80 centuries.