Days after getting Virat Kohli on a duck, Prince Yadav earns maiden ODI call-up
Prince Yadav has earned a first India ODI call-up after a strong domestic and IPL run. This comes amid Virat Kohli's praise of the young pacer and India's rotation call underlining a shift towards testing new pace depth.
In a matter of just a few days, life has taken a remarkable turn for Prince Yadav, the young pacer from Najafgarh, Delhi. He went from seeking advice from India’s batting great Virat Kohli to dismissing him for a duck in domestic cricket. Now, he has earned a maiden India call-up for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan.
IND vs AFG, SQUAD SELECTION: UPDATES
The Lucknow Super Giants fast bowler has been in sensational form in white-ball cricket, picking up 16 wickets in 12 matches in the ongoing Indian Premier League at an impressive average of 24. His consistency has made him one of the standout emerging pacers of the season.
Beyond the IPL, Yadav has also impressed in domestic cricket. During the 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he finished among the top five wicket-takers with 18 scalps at an average of 19.27, underlining his growing reputation as a reliable wicket-taking option across formats.
Virat Kohli, recalling his interaction with Yadav during domestic cricket, spoke about the youngster’s personality and their conversations on the field.
“So people don't know, I went and played Vijay Hazare, I didn't know Prince at all. Because on the field he feels very intense, and he's such a sweet guy, and he's so funny. Ishant was there as well, and Ishant knows him, so I got very close to him, and he opened up really nicely to me,” Kohli said on the RCB podcast.
“I was telling him even during those Vijay Hazare games, standing at mid-off, covers, whatever, what to do, where to bowl,” he added.
Next-gen pace options
Yadav’s selection comes alongside young gun Gurnoor Brar and experienced bowlers Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, While Jasprit Bumrah has been rested after a demanding IPL season with the ball. The decision reflects India’s approach of managing workload while giving opportunities to emerging performers.
India will play a one-off Test followed by a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. The ODI series begins on June 14 in Dharamshala, with the remaining matches scheduled in Lucknow and Chennai.
FULL ODI SQUAD
Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, S Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey
In a matter of just a few days, life has taken a remarkable turn for Prince Yadav, the young pacer from Najafgarh, Delhi. He went from seeking advice from India’s batting great Virat Kohli to dismissing him for a duck in domestic cricket. Now, he has earned a maiden India call-up for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan.
IND vs AFG, SQUAD SELECTION: UPDATES
The Lucknow Super Giants fast bowler has been in sensational form in white-ball cricket, picking up 16 wickets in 12 matches in the ongoing Indian Premier League at an impressive average of 24. His consistency has made him one of the standout emerging pacers of the season.
Beyond the IPL, Yadav has also impressed in domestic cricket. During the 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he finished among the top five wicket-takers with 18 scalps at an average of 19.27, underlining his growing reputation as a reliable wicket-taking option across formats.
Virat Kohli, recalling his interaction with Yadav during domestic cricket, spoke about the youngster’s personality and their conversations on the field.
“So people don't know, I went and played Vijay Hazare, I didn't know Prince at all. Because on the field he feels very intense, and he's such a sweet guy, and he's so funny. Ishant was there as well, and Ishant knows him, so I got very close to him, and he opened up really nicely to me,” Kohli said on the RCB podcast.
“I was telling him even during those Vijay Hazare games, standing at mid-off, covers, whatever, what to do, where to bowl,” he added.
Next-gen pace options
Yadav’s selection comes alongside young gun Gurnoor Brar and experienced bowlers Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, While Jasprit Bumrah has been rested after a demanding IPL season with the ball. The decision reflects India’s approach of managing workload while giving opportunities to emerging performers.
India will play a one-off Test followed by a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. The ODI series begins on June 14 in Dharamshala, with the remaining matches scheduled in Lucknow and Chennai.
FULL ODI SQUAD
Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, S Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey
