Yashasvi Jaiswal featurs in TIME100 Next 2025(X.com/@ybj_19)
In a significant development, on Wednesday, the Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal became the only Indian cricketer featured in the TIME100 Next 2025. Despite getting snubbed from the Indian squad for the Asia Cup 2025, Jaiswal's influence has been recognized in the Times Magazine's prestigious event, which honours emerging personalities across various walks of life.
Sharing the news on his social media handles, the 24-year-old wrote on X (previously Twitter),
"What a Time to witness! I am honoured to be recognised in the 2025 #TIME100NEXT list alongside leaders shaping the future across industries. It reminds me how far I’ve come and how much further I want to go."
Asia Cup 2025 snub to the leading world stage
Notably, Jaiswal's rags-to-riches journey is certainly a modern legend. Hailing from a small village - Suriyawan, Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, his cricketing journey began when he moved to Mumbai. At the age of ten, the youngster started to live by himself around the Azad Maidan, while surviving on barely any food he could receive after helping street vendors.
After years of struggle, his cricketing potential was finally spotted by his first coach, Jwala Singh, who then became his legal guardian. Singh, who ran a cricket academy in Santacruz, provided Jaiswal with a place to stay and guided the young gun to become a star in the making.
Making his international debut in June 2023, Jaiswal soon became a prominent name in the national set-up. The opener proved his mettle by becoming the third youngest Indian batsman, after Sunil Gavaskar and Vinod Kambli, to score a double hundred in Test cricket, scoring 209 runs off 290 balls against England in his maiden Test series in the national whites.
That being said, his exclusion from the Indian squad for the Asia Cup 2025 shook one and all. Nonetheless, Yashasvi Jaiswal, staying true to his nature, in an interview, stated his intention, despite the snub, stays the same, and none of the outer voice matters to him. As the young boy prepares to return to the Indian team for the West Indies series, he will hope to define the next era, which goes beyond statistics.
