Mumbai legend questions Yashasvi Jaiswal's shift to wicket-keeping

Yashasvi Jaiswal has surprised the cricketing fraternity by beginning to train as a wicket-keeper ahead of the 2026-27 domestic season. The 24-year-old left-handed batter, who is currently looking to cement his position across all formats for India, has reportedly been working on his keeping skills with the goal of potentially fulfilling the role for both Mumbai and the national side in the future.Mumbai Ranji Trophy captain Siddhesh Lad addressed the development ahead of the team's season opener at Wankhede Stadium. Lad noted that while he lacks formal clarity on Jaiswal's long-term intentions, it is evident that the player is putting in significant effort to develop the specialized skill set required for the position.However, the move has drawn sharp criticism from Mumbai batting legend Wasim Jaffer. Describing the decision as "a bit of a joke," Jaffer expressed his surprise on his YouTube channel, emphasizing that wicket-keeping is a highly demanding discipline that is difficult to master if not practiced from a young age. He noted that the role requires specialized technical foundations that are particularly challenging to acquire at this stage in Jaiswal's career.Jaffer further suggested that the pursuit might be driven by a sense of desperation to break into India’s white-ball squads, where competition for the wicket-keeper slot remains intense with established players like Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan in the mix. The former opener urged Jaiswal to prioritize his primary skill, batting, especially with the Indian team’s upcoming tour of New Zealand scheduled for next month. He argued that focusing on consistency with the bat is the more practical path for the young cricketer to solidify his international career rather than experimenting with a complex new role.