Yashasvi planning to multi-task with white-ball comeback in mind?

• Jaiswal works on his wicketkeeping skills amid stiff competition for India's white-ball spots.

• Childhood coach Jwala Singh questions whether the additional skill will help him secure a recall.

• The batter's immediate focus remains on the Test series in New Zealand as he waits for opportunities in other formats.

A talking point on social media ahead of the Ranji Trophy season, which began last Sunday, was whether Yashasvi Jaiswal — India's best bet across formats not too long ago — was trying to add a new skill to his repertoire in a bid to press for a recall to the white-ball set-up. The Test opener had taken up wicketkeeping in earnest during Mumbai's preparatory camp ahead of their season-opener against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium.

There were no experiments during the match, though, as Mumbai's regular wicketkeeper, Akash Anand, remained behind the stumps during their innings victory. Skipper Siddesh Lad, however, confirmed that his star teammate was "trying hard" to polish his skills.

"He wants to eventually, in future, keep wickets for maybe Mumbai or go on to keep wickets for the Indian team, is what he is aiming for. That is what I feel, but I haven't got any clarity on that," the Mumbai captain said.

It is no easy task to break into the Indian set-up as a batter-wicketkeeper, given the embarrassment of riches in that department. But the 24-year-old presumably sees no harm in keeping himself ready after being made to wait for opportunities in both ODIs and T20Is for a variety of reasons. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continuing to enjoy the backing of the establishment ahead of the 2027 ICC World Cup, Jaiswal faces an uphill task in securing an ODI role, while a return to T20Is appears even more difficult.

The last time the gifted batter featured in an ODI was against Afghanistan in June, when he scored his second century in the format, an unbeaten 110 off 86 balls. His first had come against South Africa in only his fourth ODI in 2025.

The last time the gifted batter featured in an ODI was against Afghanistan in June, when he scored his second century in the format, an unbeaten 110 off 86 balls. His first had come against South Africa in only his fourth ODI in 2025.

"He (Yashasvi) has proved his quality as an all-format player, but with Rohit being there, he has to wait for now. There is no harm if he wants to add another skillset to his pocket in keeping, but I am not sure if it's going to help him get a breakthrough," said Jwala Singh, his childhood coach and mentor.

Speaking to National Herald over the phone, Jwala pointed out that another of Jaiswal's skills — his leg-spin bowling — had not been utilised sufficiently by the team management.

"He can bowl sharp leg-spinners and has given India breakthroughs in the Under-19 World Cup he played. However, he hasn't been given enough opportunities to prove himself as a partnership-breaker in the longer format," said Jwala, who is now working with at least three of his protégés — Aman Mokhade, Divyangsh Saxena and Yuvraj Samra — in the hope of developing the next big names in Indian cricket.

Assessing the possibility of Jaiswal returning to the white-ball set-up by becoming a multi-skilled player, Jwala did not sugar-coat the challenge facing his most famous ward.

"It happened way back in 2003, when Rahul Dravid was assigned the task so that he could hold on to his place in the squad. The competition has only got tougher, with KL (Rahul) doing the job now and the likes of Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant available as back-ups," he said.

Looking back at Jaiswal's career since 2024, it is difficult to ignore how often he has been left waiting in the wings despite having the credentials to earn a place. He was part of India's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the US and the Caribbean, having come off an IPL season in which he scored 435 runs. Yet, he did not get a game, with the established opening pair occupying the top two spots.

Ahead of the 2025 T20 Asia Cup in Dubai, Jaiswal once again appeared to be a strong contender after scoring 559 runs in that year's IPL. However, Shubman Gill's return to the T20 set-up as vice-captain, along with the presence of an in-form Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, further complicated Jaiswal's case.

For now, Jaiswal needs to make his presence felt in the upcoming Test series in New Zealand and bide his time for opportunities in the other formats. In the meantime, adding another skill to his game will hardly hurt his cause.