People have started talking about a young prodigy from Mumbai, who has forced the cricketing world to sit up and take notice of his talent. He was the star with the bat for India U-19 in the just-concluded Asia Cup and one of the main reasons why the team could clinch the title.
However, it was not always this easy for the young man. He was forced to live in a tent, take up jobs with a food vendor just to make ends meet, despite having all the talent with the bat.
'Took everything in my stride'
"I just wanted to play cricket and I want to play for Mumbai. I used to stay in a tent and there was no electricity, washrooms or water facilities there. To make ends meet, I started working with a food vendor. On occasions, my teammates would turn up and I'd serve them. I felt terrible. But it took that in my stride as it was necessary," Jaiswal told ESPNCricinfo in an interview.
Back in 2012, when he came to Mumbai, he had nowhere to go. He was shooed away from a dairy shop where he slept and had to take refuge at the Muslim United Club's tent at the Azad Maidan ground. However, he kept playing and this is when things changed for him.
His coach Jwala Singh spotted him in the nets and then convinced the young man to stay put and fight it out. Singh took him under his tutelage and even stayed with him.
"He was 11-12 years old when I first saw him bat. I was immediately impressed by his performance and he was playing against Division A bowlers with ease. Then my friend told me that he was struggling to find a home and he didn't have a coach here," Singh said.
Everything came together in this Asia Cup. He set the tone early with a steady 85-runs innings in 113 balls as India posted a target of 303 for Sri Lanka. The bowlers then got the job done and the Indian colts clinched the trophy by a comprehensive margin of 144 runs.
The left-hander was at his prolific best in the tournament and with scores of 104, 92, 37 and 85, he took away the Player-of-the-tournament award.
