In a significant shift within Indian domestic cricket, Yashasvi Jaiswal, India’s promising Test opener, has decided to leave Mumbai and join Goa for the upcoming 2025-26 season. The 23-year-old prodigy will not only play for Goa but will also take on the mantle of captaincy, marking a new chapter in his burgeoning career.
Jaiswal formally requested a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on Tuesday, which was promptly granted, allowing him to make the switch. This move follows a trend seen among Mumbai cricketers, with players like Arjun Tendulkar, Siddhesh Lad, and Eknath Kerkar having previously made similar transitions to Goa.
The decision comes after the BCCI’s directive mandating players to participate in domestic cricket for their state teams. Jaiswal’s last stint with Mumbai in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy was less than stellar, managing only 4 and 26 runs in a match against Jammu and Kashmir at the MCA ground in BKC, Mumbai.
Despite being initially left out of India’s Champions Trophy squad, Jaiswal was named as a non-traveling reserve and later included in Mumbai’s Ranji squad for the semifinal against Vidarbha. However, an ankle injury forced him to withdraw from the match just a day before it was scheduled to begin.
Hailing from Bhadohi village in Uttar Pradesh, Jaiswal’s emotional ties to Mumbai are deep-rooted. He spent his formative years in the city, living in a tent at the Muslim United SC in Azad Maidan and even selling panipuris to support himself before his mentor, Jwala Singh, took him under his wing in Santa Cruz. His career took a significant leap in 2015 when former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar arranged a UK exposure tour for him with his academy team.
Jaiswal first made headlines with his performances for Rizvi Springfield School in the Harris Shield, followed by impressive showings for Mumbai’s Under-16, Under-19, and Under-23 teams, which paved his way into the senior side. He made his first-class debut for Mumbai in January 2019 against Chhattisgarh at the Wankhede Stadium, amassing 3,712 first-class runs, including 12 centuries and 12 fifties, across 36 matches.
Despite struggling in the IPL 2025 season with Rajasthan Royals, where he managed just 34 runs in three matches, Jaiswal’s international credentials remain strong. He was a standout performer in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring 391 runs in five Tests at an average of 43.44, including a century and two half-centuries.
A defining moment in Jaiswal’s career came in October 2019 when, at just 17, he became the youngest player to score a double century in List A cricket, hammering 203 off 154 balls against Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. In June 2022, he further solidified his reputation with twin centuries (100 & 181) against Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy.
As Jaiswal embarks on this new journey with Goa, the cricketing world will be keenly watching how he adapts to his new role as captain and whether he can rediscover his best form on the field.