Ranji Trophy final: Yashasvi Jaiswal makes the hard yards count

Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 15 and in the Ranji Trophy knockouts. On the opening day of the national championship final against Madhya Pradesh at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here, Jaiswal top-scored for Mumbai with 78 off 163 balls, as his team finished at 248 for five. Though he missed out on scoring his fourth consecutive First-Class hundred, he continued his dream run which has seen him notch up scores of 35 & 103 in the quarterfinals against Uttarakhand, and 100 & 181 in the semifinals against Uttar Pradesh.

"I think I'm blessed. I have really worked hard. I trust my skills in every way.

I was waiting for the opportunity, that whenever I get a chance, I'll score runs," said Jaiswal after the day's play. The 20-year-old has done well to adjust from white-ball to red-ball formats in quick time. A similar story unfolded in his case in IPL 15 for the Royals.

"The same happened in the IPL. I got three games, was out, and came back into the side after seven games. But through all these gaps, I had it in my mind that I needed to work hard and be disciplined.

Working hard every day is important, because that is what will make me consistent. When I was out every day I was working with Zubin sir (Zubin Bharucha, director of cricket at RR). He kept me motivated all the time," he explained.

He credited Mumbai coach Amol Muzumdar too for helping him mount a stunning comeback in the Ranji Trophy this season. "Amol sir has been with us for the past six months. He was just telling me: 'Just be in your shape.