'This is a bit of a joke' - Wasim Jaffer shares blunt take on Yashasvi Jaiswal taking up wicketkeeping role

Yashasvi Jaiswal, the 24-year-old Mumbai batter, is exploring wicketkeeping ahead of the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season. The move has drawn attention after Jaiswal kept wickets for about 10 overs during one of Mumbai's practice matches and shared social media content showing snippets from a match simulation that included clips of him keeping wicket.

Siddhesh Lad, Jaiswal's Mumbai teammate, provided insight into the batter's intentions. According to Lad, Jaiswal is keen to develop this skill for potential future opportunities.

"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 Lad told reporters earlier this week.

Jaffer's surprise at the wicketkeeping move

Former India batter Wasim Jaffer has expressed strong reservations about Jaiswal's wicketkeeping ambitions. Jaffer questioned whether Jaiswal has the foundation to develop this skill and highlighted the crowded wicketkeeping landscape in Indian cricket.

"I myself was surprised when I heard this. It is very difficult if you have not kept wickets since childhood. First of all, it is a very demanding job." Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.

"Apart from that, where is that place even if he starts? There are Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and Rishabh Pant. I am sure he wants to do it in white-ball cricket," he added.

Jaffer's concerns about skill development and timing

Jaffer elaborated further on his concerns, emphasising that wicketkeeping is not a skill that can be developed quickly. He urged the left-handed batter to focus on his batting as he will have to open for India during the two-match Test series against New Zealand, which begins next month.

"It is very difficult in Test cricket. But I feel this is a bit of a joke because wicketkeeping is not an easy task if you have not done it since childhood. It is not an easy skill that you can develop very quickly. I think he is getting a little desperate to get into the white-ball teams. I think he needs to focus on his batting ahead of the Ranji Trophy and the New Zealand tour," Jaffer said.

Jaiswal is an established member of India's Test team but holds a back-up position to Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in ODIs, and remains only on the fringes of the T20I side. Beyond his batting, Jaiswal has also been practising leg-spin at Indian team nets and has rolled his arm over in a couple of matches.

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Mumbai's Ranji Trophy opener against Chandigarh is scheduled for Sunday, October 11, at the Wankhede Stadium. Jaiswal will not be available from the second game onwards because of his national commitments.