Rajasthan Royals’ Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, has revealed how England’s star batter Joe Root played a key role in mentoring young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal during their time together at the franchise. Root was part of the Royals squad during the 2023 IPL season. Though he featured in only three matches, his off-field influence made a lasting impression on Jaiswal.
Jaiswal, who made his IPL debut in 2020, enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2023, amassing 625 runs in 14 matches, including a century. Since then, he has established himself as a regular in India’s Test side.
We Used to Call Him Joeswal: Sangakkara
Speaking to Sky Sports, Sangakkara shared a heartwarming anecdote from the Royals camp. “We had Joe Root at Rajasthan Royals, and we used to call Jaiswal ‘Joeswal’, because he never left Joe’s side and was soaking up everything.”
Sangakkara revealed that their conversations extended beyond the T20 format. “They weren’t just talking T20 – they discussed everything from cricket to life. Jaiswal would sit beside Joe for about four hours every night, either peppering him with questions or listening intently.”
He further praised Jaiswal’s attitude: “Root was absolutely brilliant in our environment, and Jaiswal learnt so much from him. That’s another strength of Jaiswal – he’s a quick learner and eager to grow.”
Both players are currently playing the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in Birmingham. Continuing his strong form, Jaiswal scored 87 in India’s first-innings total of 587. Root remained unbeaten on 18 as England finished day two at 77/3.
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