It’s rare for anything in Indian cricket to steal the spotlight during the IPL, but Yashasvi Jaiswal’s surprising decision to leave Mumbai and join Goa for the upcoming domestic season has become a major talking point among fans.
The rising India opener has requested a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Mumbai Cricket Association to represent Goa, which will be playing in the Elite Group starting from the 2025–26 season.
Jaiswal said the move was because Goa offered him captaincy. “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 take them deep into the tournament,” Jaiswal told The Indian Express.
Fair enough but why the rush to get captaincy exposure? It’s not like he’s in line for a leadership role in Team India. Even in the IPL, Jaiswal has little chance of Rajasthan Royals as Sanju Samson has been their primo supremo for quite some time, and when he was not available, RR gave the captaincy band to Riyan Parag.
Generally, players leave a heavyweight like Mumbai when they are at the twilight of their careers or are not quite able to break into their XI regularly. For Jaiswal, neither held in merit. Then why?
Jaiswal kicked Rahane’s kit bag, had a fall out with Mumbai coach and selectors
An India Today report suggests tensions had been brewing between Yashasvi Jaiswal and the Mumbai team management, particularly with skipper Ajinkya Rahane. The report mentions an incident after a Ranji Trophy match against J&K at the BKC ground, where Jaiswal allegedly kicked Rahane’s kit bag. The confrontation reportedly followed a moment when “Mumbai coach Omkar Salvi and Rahane questioned Jaiswal’s commitment, and it left the young opener fuming.”
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s decision to leave Mumbai and join Goa for the upcoming domestic season has become a major talking point — even amid the buzz of the IPL.
This wasn’t the first time tensions flared between Jaiswal and Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane. During the Duleep Trophy final between South Zone and West Zone, Rahane, captaining WZ, famously asked Jaiswal to leave the field after he kept sledging South Zone batter Ravi Teja, ignoring repeated umpire warnings. Rahane felt the youngster had crossed the line.
According to India Today, this incident marked the breaking point in Jaiswal’s strained relationship with the Mumbai team management.The rising India opener has requested a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Mumbai Cricket Association to represent Goa, which will play in the Elite Group from the 2025–26 season.
Jaiswal cited leadership as the key reason behind his move to Goa. “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 take them deep into the tournament,” he told ‘The Indian Express’.
