Team India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has opened up about his decision to leave Mumbai and join Goa for the 2025/26 domestic season. The left-handed batter expressed his deep gratitude to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), but he revealed that he couldn’t refuse the leadership role with Goa.
Jaiswal requested a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Mumbai Cricket Association to join Goa for the 2025-26 domestic season. The 23-year-old batter could play limited matches for Goa due to his international commitments. Notably, Arjun Tendulkar also shifted from Mumbai to Goa in recent years.
It Was a Very Tough Decision for Me – Yashasvi Jaiswal
Yashasvi Jaiswal admitted that leaving Mumbai was a tough decision after spending his entire life in the city. In a conversation with The Indian Express, the 23-year-old said that he will always remain indebted to the Mumbai Cricket Association.
“It was a very tough decision for me. Whatever I am today is because of Mumbai. The city has made me who I am, and all my life, I will be indebted to the MCA,” he said.
As per BCCI regulations, Indian players must participate in domestic cricket when not playing for the national team. Jaiswal last played for Mumbai in a Ranji Trophy Group A match against Jammu and Kashmir from January 23 to 25.
The opening batter was named in Mumbai’s squad for the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Vidarbha but missed the match due to an ankle injury. Jaiswal made his first-class debut for Mumbai in 2019.
Goa Has Thrown Me a New Opportunity – Yashasvi Jaiswal
Yashasvi Jaiswal revealed that the leadership role offered by Goa played a key part in his decision to make the switch. Jaiswal said that he couldn’t turn down the opportunity. The southpaw added that he will give his best for Goa and help the team make an impact in domestic tournaments.
“Goa has thrown me a new opportunity and it has offered me a leadership role. My first goal will be to do well for India, and whenever I’m not on national duty, I will be playing for Goa and try to make them go deep into the tournament. This was an (important) opportunity which came my way and I just took it,” Jaiswal added.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Domestic Career With Mumbai
Yashasvi Jaiswal moved from Suriyawan, Uttar Pradesh, to Mumbai at the age of 11 to chase his cricketing dream. He progressed through Mumbai’s age-group system and made a name for himself with a double century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which helped him break into the Indian team two years ago.
Jaiswal has played 36 first-class matches, amassing 3712 runs at an impressive average of 60.85, including 13 centuries and 12 fifties.
The young batter is a key member of India’s Test squad. He recently delivered impressive performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia. Currently, he is playing for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2025 season.
