Jaiswal sets sights on wicketkeeping for Mumbai, eyes India gloves
India opener plotting new route into the XI through the gloves
Yashasvi Jaiswal's path back into India's white-ball sides may yet run through the wicketkeeping gloves. The India Test opener is actively working on his glovework and is serious about the project, according to Mumbai Ranji Trophy captain Siddesh Lad.
"With Yashasvi, I feel he is trying hard to start keeping wickets. That's what I heard from him. He wants to keep wickets for Mumbai or go on to keep wickets for the Indian team. That's what he is aiming for. I haven't got any clarity on that," Lad, the veteran Mumbai batter leading the side this season, said at a pre-season interaction on Thursday.
Jaiswal, a regular opener in India's Test side, has been struggling to break into the white-ball teams. In the One-Day Internationals, there is no room at the top with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill occupying the opening slots. In T20Is, vacancies are scarce too, with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson opening the innings and teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi waiting in the wings.
The competition at the top was underscored by earlier reporting. On September 26, 2026, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said Jaiswal's limited ODI opportunities were not unfair given Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are currently ahead in India's opening plans, urging the youngster to keep working hard and wait his turn. Kotak also backed Ravindra Jadeja's World Cup prospects and confirmed Gill fit for the West Indies opener at the time.
The glovework is not merely theoretical. "He kept wickets in one of our practice matches. I don't have any idea what his plans are but adding a new dimension to your core cricketing skills is not bad. Who knows when and where a chance would arise," Lad told Cricbuzz after the media interaction. Jaiswal even posted a picture of himself wearing wicketkeeping gloves on his social media account.
"Maybe he wants to add value to his core strength - that is batting. He does batting anyway and keeping can add value to his cricket," Lad added, framing the move as a pragmatic attempt to widen his repertoire rather than a guaranteed plan.