Mumbai, 2 April

India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has decided to make a shock switch to Goa from Mumbai due to personal reasons, leaving a domestic powerhouse that laid the foundation for the left-hander's blossoming international career.

Jaiswal wrote to the Mumbai Cricket Association on Tuesday, expressing his wish to leave Mumbai for Goa, and the governing body has accepted his request.

Jaiswal’s shock move will see the left-handed 23-year-old play for Goa from the 2025-26 season.

'Yes, it is surprising. He must have thought of something to make such a move. He has requested us to relieve him, and we have accepted his request,' an MCA official told PTI on Wednesday.

Jaiswal last played for Mumbai against Jammu and Kashmir in their Ranji Trophy Group A league round match from January 23-25, following the strict implementation of the BCCI directives that all India players should play domestic cricket if not on national duty.

In that game, Jaiswal had made his sole appearance in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season, scoring 4 and 26 as Mumbai lost by five wickets to Jammu and Kashmir for the second time in the tournament’s history.

'He wants to play for us and we welcome him. He will be playing for us from the next season,' Goa Cricket Association’s secretary Shamba Desai told PTI.

Jaiswal could well captain Goa when is not on national duty.

'Yes, that can happen,' he replied when asked if Jaiswal could be a captaincy candidate for the state.

'He plays for the Indian cricket team, so he can be the captain, and we will work in that direction to appoint him. Regarding his availability (for the domestic competitions), we are yet to speak,' he added.

Jaiswal is the third cricketer from Mumbai in recent times to have moved to Goa after Arjun Tendulkar and Siddhesh Lad.

Lad and Tendulkar had moved to Goa ahead of the 2022-23 season.

The right-handed batter Lad served his cooling-off period before making a successful return to Mumbai last season in the Ranji Trophy.

Jaiswal has been India’s first-choice opener since making his Test debut against the West Indies in July 2023, and since then he has played 19 games, cementing himself with stellar performances on the biggest stage.

He averages more than 52 in Tests, including four hundreds and 10 fifties.