"When I scored a century there, those memories of my childhood came back to me" - Yashasvi Jaiswal on playing at Wankhede Stadium

Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal recently recalled climbing on trees with his roommate to watch match screenings at the Press Club in Mumbai.

Jaiswal revealed that when he would see the floodlights of the Wankhede Stadium, he aspired to play at the iconic venue someday. The talented youngster mentioned that all those childhood memories came back to him after he scored a century on the same ground in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).

During an interview with The Indian Express, Yashasvi Jaiswal revealed:

"At night, my roommate and I would try and watch the games. It was really a fun time for both of us. Now that I play, I put all my efforts into playing. I could also see the Wankhede floodlights. And I would always wish that God willing, I would play there one day."

"That thought was always there, he continued. "When I actually played there and especially when I scored a century there, those memories of my childhood came back to me. It motivated me to do even better. I didn’t think that far ahead whether I would play at Wankhede (laughs). I just kept on working, knowing that one day I would reach there."

Yashasvi Jaiswal hit his maiden IPL century in April at the Wankhde Stadium. Playing for the Rajasthan Royals (RR), the swashbuckling batter enthralled viewers with a scintillating 124-run knock against the Mumbai Indians (MI).

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"It’s very important" - Yashasvi Jaiswal on adapting to all three formats

Yashasvi Jaiswal earned his maiden India call-up when he was named in India's squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against the West Indies.

The 21-year-old suggested that he has always enjoyed playing red-ball cricket. He mentioned that he developed a mindset to score big runs because of playing a lot of four-day and five-day matches in school cricket.

Speaking about the importance of adapting to all three formats of the game, Jaiswal added:

"For me, it’s very important, because I was always playing with the red ball. I really enjoyed it. Mumbai cricket has that legacy that wherever you are playing, even if it is school cricket or club cricket, there are games that go on for three, four or five days. You hear people are scoring more runs in those games. When I played school cricket, I used to think that whenever I get set, I’d try to go for a big score because that was inculcated in me from Mumbai cricket."

Yashasvi Jaiswal further stated that he relishes playing the longer format as it helps him improve his mental toughness. He remarked that irrespective of the format, his focus remains on playing proper cricketing shots, elaborating:

"I’d always say to myself that if I’m set, make sure that I’m making it big and taking responsibility for the team. That’s why we enjoy red ball cricket a lot. Playing the longer format helps me improve my mental toughness which is really important because you are going to be tested in different situations against different bowlers.

"It’s a lot of fun. Overall, I try to focus more on cricketing shots. It doesn’t matter which format I’m playing. What matters is which shot I’m playing and how I’m playing it. The only thing on my mind is how I’m building my innings."

The Test series opener between India and West Indies is scheduled to be played at Windsor Park in Roseau from July 12.