IPL 2020: For RR's Yashasvi Jaiswal, it's all about the mind

Yashasvi Jaiswal during Rajasthan Royals's net session in the UAE recently

For many super-busy cricketers, the Coronavirus-forced lockdown came as a welcome break from their non-stop routine. However, it wasn't exciting for young batting sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal, 18. Bought for a whopping Rs 2.40 crore by Rajasthan Royals in the IPL auction thanks to his exploits at the U-19 World Cup where India reached the final, the Mumbai batsman was looking forward to impressing in the big league.

"He was in good rhythm since the U-19 World Cup in February. He was looking forward to playing the IPL, but the lockdown came as a huge jolt to Yashasvi. He was a bit depressed in the beginning," Jaiswal's coach and mentor Jwala Singh, told mid-day on Wednesday.

Jwala knew it was important to keep his ward mentally upright. "At the back of my mind, I knew that the IPL would be the first tournament that the BCCI will look to restart when cricket resumes. Being mentally fit was important because skill-wise, it would just take some proper practice sessions to rebuild his confidence. But if you are down mentally, a lot of issues can creep in," he said.

Jwala noticed that Jaiswal, who stays with him, would remain quiet for a couple of days when the total lockdown was ordered by the Indian government. "We would not talk for days in the beginning. We would watch a lot of web series. There was hardly any conversation between us but I was giving him that space. He started opening up on how he was feeling and I gave him examples of how privileged we are as compared to what many not-so-privileged Indians were facing in the lockdown.

"I gave him the example of Arunima Sinha, who conquered Mount Everest on artificial limbs. The point was not to be satisfied with just being successful if you have the ability to become a legend," said Jwala.

Jwala Singh

Jaiswal may not be an automatic choice in the XI for batsmen-heavy Rajasthan Royals, but coach Jwala has advised him to observe top cricketers in the IPL. "This is his first step to break into senior cricket. He must learn from successful cricketers on how they schedule their practice sessions and things they do during and before the match," said Jwala.

Jaiswal takes Gita lessons

Yashasvi Jaiswal has focused on the spiritual side during lockdown. The explosive batsman got some Bhagavad Gita lessons and also turned towards meditation. "There was so much to relate to the Bhagavad Gita during these tough times. Yashasvi was keen to understand the lessons preached. He also tried to improve his meditation," said his coach and mentor Jwala Singh.

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