Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal believes that having played in similar conditions during Mumbai’s tour of Oman will help him during the upcoming UAE phase of the IPL. The 19-year-old was a part of the Mumbai team that defeated Oman in the One-Day series in Muscat.

“I had a very good series against Oman and in similar conditions to the UAE. I’m really happy with the way I’m playing my cricket at the moment, and I can’t wait to replicate these performances in the IPL against much stronger line-ups,” the youngster was quoted as saying in a media release.

Jaiswal, who had a tally of close to 300 runs in the one-day and T20 series combined, said it’s always better to have some cricket under the belt.

“It was good practice for me before the big matches in the IPL. It had been a while I had played competitive cricket, and to play against an international team like Oman is certainly good preparation. I’m happy I could score some runs and win some matches for my team.”

Jaiswal also got the chance to have a one-on-one session with his idol, batting great Sachin Tendulkar.

Speaking after joining up with the Royals’ squad ahead of the IPL, as he quarantines in his hotel room in Dubai, he said, “My idol has always been Sachin Tendulkar, and I was really fortunate to have a conversation with him before the Oman tour. I was glad that Mumbai Cricket Association invited him for a session before we left from Mumbai to play against Oman.”

“I was over the moon when I first heard he was going to be present there, and when I had the chance to speak to him at length, he was really humble and helped me on some skills where he thought I could improve on.

“It was good to see that a legend like him was aware of my game, and it was certainly a very happy moment for me. I can’t wait to keep implementing those things in my game and express myself better on the field,” he added.

Jaiswal also revealed the chats he had with another legend Kumar Sangakkara, who is the Royals director of cricket, earlier this year.

“We have had so many chats on what I can do during the game – how I should think, what my approach will be against which bowler, how I can change the tempo of the game, etc.

“I’m really fortunate to have a mentor like him. I also feel the best thing about him is that he’s always willing to listen and give his time to the players,” the youngster said.