Considered quitting cricket two years ago, says Jayant Goyat after maiden fifer

Goyat, an admirer of Jacques Kallis, considers bowling to be his stronger suit. But it was his batting that he was more invested in until a couple of years ago.  | Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

Jayant Goyat is a 21-year-old seam-bowling all-rounder. He stands at 6’4”.

These are rare traits to have in a system historically deprived of seam-bowling all-rounders. At the Airforce Complex Ground in Palam on Wednesday, Goyat showcased his credentials by way of a robust performance for Services. In his 12th First Class appearance, Goyat, recruited by the Indian Airforce under the Agniveer scheme, claimed his maiden five-wicket haul.

After two wickets on Tuesday, he cleaned up the Delhi lower-order quickly on Wednesday, returning figures of 23.4-4-65-5.

“It is a very good feeling to get my first fifer. The pitch is slow and flat. I put in extra effort and got the results,” the soft-spoken Goyat told reporters.

“I naturally bowl back-of-a-length. I do look to hit the deck.”

Goyat, an admirer of Jacques Kallis, considers bowling to be his stronger suit. But it was his batting that he was more invested in until a couple of years ago.

When he was in the fray for India’s u-19 World Cup squad in 2024, it was owing to his returns with the willow. In an u-19 Challenger series in the build-up, the boy from Bhiwani remembers a century in a quarterfinal with fondness.

It was around that time that Goyat considered quitting cricket. A lean patch in one of the district-based tournaments in Haryana was the reason, but his father, Dr. Wazir Singh Goyat, persuaded him to persevere. The latter’s own experience – he was a fast bowler in Haryana’s Ranji squad during Kapil Dev’s final season -- may have come to use.

“I hadn’t performed in 3-4 matches on the trot. I had decided midway into a game that I will quit cricket. He motivated me, and helped me get out of that slump. He motivates me in different ways. On that occasion, he pampered me by feeding me my favourite food items,” the youngster chuckled.

Goyat’s hometown is more renowned for the slew of boxing medals that it has produced for the country. For the Services all-rounder, though, cricket was the first love.

“In my childhood, my father was never pushy,” he recalled. “He let me do what I want. I always wanted to play cricket.”