The 'ghost' of captaincy is haunting Yashasvi Jaiswal, no more than the management
Last Updated:
Yashasvi Jaiswal had recently presented himself to the team management for a leadership role, however, Kumar Sangakkara and the management believe that Yashasvi is still developing as a senior player and his main focus should be on batting.
Yashasvi Jaiswal's greed to become the captain is the main reason for his falling form, he is not able to concentrate on batting.
New Delhi. Indian cricket's 'Wonder Boy' Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has created fear among bowlers around the world with his stormy batting, is in the news these days for a different reason. According to reports, Yashasvi had expressed his desire to become the captain of Rajasthan Royals (RR), but the team management and cricket director Kumar Sangakkara ignored his 'complaint'. Amidst this captaincy controversy, the decline in Yashasvi's batting graph has left the fans worried.
Yashasvi Jaiswal had recently presented himself to the team management for a leadership role, however, Kumar Sangakkara and the management believe that Yashasvi is still developing as a senior player and his main focus should be on batting. Along with Riyan Parag, the management has also seen Dhruv Jurel as a strong option for captaincy, because as a wicketkeeper, they can control the game better.
Last season's 'Bawal' and the rise of Riyan Parag
This tussle in Rajasthan Royals regarding captaincy is not new, in the last season (IPL 2025) when regular captain Sanju Samson was out due to injury, there was a lot of stir regarding captaincy. At that time, contrary to Yashasvi's expectations, the management had handed over the command of the team to Riyan Parag. The decision to make Parag the captain had raised many questions, and it is believed that it was from here that the internal equations of the team started changing.
Declining performance: words from the data
The captaincy war going on outside the field is directly impacting Yashasvi's batting. Yashasvi's bat, which scored 625 runs in 2023, did not appear to be in that rhythm in 2024 and 2025. Yashasvi's dismissal rate in powerplay has increased from 29% earlier to 44% now. His 'attacking shot' percentage has dropped to 70% in the last two seasons, which is in contrast to his naturally fearless game. In IPL 2025, Yashasvi struggled in many innings and could play only a few big innings.
What are the future plans?
Yashasvi's name is included in the retention list for IPL 2026, but suspense remains regarding the leadership role. While on one hand Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi are said to be the frontrunners in the race for the post of captain, the speculation about Sanju Samson's separation from the team has made the matter more complicated. This is the time for Yashasvi Jaiswal to show mental strength. If he wants to improve his falling graph, he will have to leave behind captaincy ambitions and focus on his aggressive batting which made him an overnight star.
