As India gears up for the much-anticipated five-match Test series against England, starting June 20, 2025, all eyes are on young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal to shoulder greater responsibility in the absence of senior stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Speaking ahead of the tour, Jaiswal’s childhood coach, Jwala Singh, issued a powerful message, urging his protégé to play “sensible cricket” and avoid falling into the trap of reckless aggression.
Jwala Singh, who discovered and mentored Jaiswal during his early days in Mumbai, said in a recent interview:
“With no Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli, there’s an added responsibility on Yashasvi. He must adapt to English conditions and play smart cricket, not just go after bowlers with a Bazball mindset.”
Singh’s comments come as India prepares for challenging conditions in the UK, including cloudy skies, green pitches, and the ever-dangerous Duke ball.
“Looking at his character since childhood, he’s a guy when he decides something he delivers. I have many incidents. I feel he will be one of the senior batters. He has positioned himself well in all Test matches. If he decides and gets used to the conditions in the warm-up games, I am very sure that he will score runs. His role is very, very vital in this Indian unit,” Jwala Singh said.
“I hope, like what I am seeing now, that the Indian batting lineup will have a lot of dependency on him, similar to the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Virat Kohli. I think he needs to play that role. If India does well, he needs to play the same role as they did in the past,” he added.
Without Rohit and Kohli, the opening burden falls squarely on Jaiswal and newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill. The duo represents India’s next-gen batting core, and their performance will be key in English conditions.
