Young Yashasvi Jaiswal is quickly becoming one of India's most promising talents, but it is almost unbelievable to think that the 22-year-old almost did not make it if it were not for his elder brother. Tejasvi, the older of the two siblings, began his cricketing journey alongside Yashasvi. However, due to the family's financial situation, only one of them could pursue a full-time career in cricket. A difficult decision had to be made, and Tejasvi selflessly sacrificed his own career so that Yashasvi could flourish. In 2012, both brothers moved to Mumbai, but just two years later, Tejasvi made the ultimate sacrifice for his brother's success.
In the past year, Jaiswal has been in exceptional form. He made a century on his Test debut, becoming the 17th Indian to do so, and had a record-breaking series with over 700 runs against England. Now, Jaiswal faces his toughest challenge yet as India takes on Australia in a five-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. As he prepares for this intense battle, Jaiswal made sure to acknowledge and congratulate Tejasvi, who is making a comeback to cricket after seven years. Tejasvi, representing Tripura in the Ranji Trophy Round 5 match, shared an emotional phone call with Jaiswal, showing the bond between the two brothers.
"Tune sab ke liye kiya, apne sapne ko choda, bahut sacrifice kiya, abhi tumhara time hai, enjoy karo (You sacrificed your dream for us, now it is your time, enjoy it)," Yashasvi told Tejasvi, reported The Indian Express.
In order to support himself financially, Tejasvi took on a job as a salesman, selling decorative lights in South Extension, Delhi. He would consistently send a portion of his earnings to his brother, Yashasvi, as pocket money. Tejasvi had last played cricket in 2014 before his family responsibilities put his dreams on hold. During this time, Tejasvi also found himself caught up in an age-fraud controversy, which took some time to resolve.
As things began to improve and Yashasvi secured a lucrative contract with Rajasthan Royals, Tejasvi decided to return to his passion for cricket. Selected to play for Tripura, Tejasvi faced challenges in matches against Meghalaya and Mumbai, scoring 13 and 4 respectively. However, he demonstrated his skills by scoring 82 against Baroda and taking 1 wicket for 29 runs. Today, the Jaiswal brothers are determined to make a statement - with Yashasvi playing in Perth and Tejasvi in Jammu, where Tripura is competing in the Ranji Trophy.
"I also wanted to play cricket, but the financial situation of our family was not good. Yashasvi was doing well… So by the end of 2013, I quit Mumbai and cricket and moved to Delhi, where a relative runs a shop," he said.
"I played one game in the Harris Shield and picked up seven wickets. Then people started saying that I had an age-verification issue. I was benched for a year and a half. Yashasvi was doing extremely well and I didn’t want his prospects to be affected because of me. Anyway, Mumbai was too expensive for both of us. It was getting difficult for both of us to have two meals a day. At that point Jwala sir, Yashasvi's coach, wasn't in the picture yet."
Tejasvi's success serves as a powerful reminder that it is never too late to achieve your goals. By demonstrating a willingness to confront challenges head-on and persevere until reaching your desired outcome, success is attainable. This serves as a valuable lesson for individuals who may be facing obstacles in their own pursuits.
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