Did feud with Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane caused Yashasvi Jaiswal to move to Goa? Reports make shocking claim

Indian cricket was all abuzz on Wednesday as the young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal made waves by announcing his move from Mumbai to Goa for the upcoming 2025-26 domestic season. The 23-year-old officially put in his request in a letter to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on Tuesday, and the governing body quickly gave it the green light. In a candid chat with The Indian Express, Jaiswal opened up about the tough choice to leave Mumbai and shared the reasons that led to his decision.

"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 make them go deep into the tournament. This was an opportunity which came my way and I just took it," he told Indian Express.

A report from India Today suggests that there may have been some underlying issues that contributed to Jaiswal's resignation, even though he first presented it as a good move forward. According to people familiar with the matter, the young batsman became more and more irritated with the rigorous monitoring he was subjected to in the Mumbai cricket system. A tense relationship with former Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane was at the core of this unhappiness.

The friction between Jaiswal and Rahane reportedly started back in 2022 during a match when Rahane, who was leading West Zone at the time, pulled Jaiswal from the field for disciplinary reasons after he engaged in excessive sledging against South Zone's Ravi Teja.

The following seasons only saw things worse, particularly during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, when Jaiswal was allegedly subjected to unjustified criticism from the team management for the shots he chose to take. His resentment only increased as a result of this alleged unjust treatment.

Last season's Ranji Trophy encounter between Mumbai and Jammu & Kashmir at the BKC venue was the tipping moment. Even with top cricket players like Rohit Sharma and Jaiswal playing, Mumbai suffered an upset loss. Rahane and coach Omkar Salvi questioned Jaiswal, who had trouble during the game, about his dedication. Sources claim that this comment sparked a heated argument during which Jaiswal allegedly kicked Rahane's kitbag in rage.

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