The name Prince Yadav is fast emerging as one of the major talking points for IPL 2026. The Lucknow Super Giants bowler has shown promise through his lightning fast deliveries and yorkers. Prince has now announced a new aim for himself. He wishes to be a part of the 2027 One Day International World Cup along with his teammates Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and help India win the championship so that the veterans can have a dignified retirement from the game. The statement shows Prince’s aspirations and humility at the same time.
Prince Yadav expressed his long-term India ambitions, saying “I want to play the 2027 World Cup with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and win it for them.”
The young fast bowler has backed his words with performances this season. Prince picked up 13 wickets in his first nine IPL 2026 matches and briefly held the Purple Cap. He averaged 20.46 with an economy rate of 8.06 and delivered key spells against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals. More importantly, he has become LSG’s most reliable Indian pace option this year.
From Tennis-Ball Cricket to IPL Spotlight
He played tennis-ball cricket growing up in Dariyapur Khurd around Najafgarh. Cricket was purely recreational in those days for him. Their source of income came from farming. His dad used to get anxious sometimes because of the hours he spent on local cricket. Prince got banned for two years in 2020 because of a problem related to his age being falsified. However, instead of giving up, Prince quietly trained under the Delhi paceman Pradeep Sangwan and went ahead with tennis-ball cricket.
The turning point came in domestic cricket. Prince became the highest wicket taker of Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 by taking 18 wickets. Furthermore, Prince performed well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well. Consequently, his improved performances made him an important member of the Delhi team and even made his mark in the IPL. This year, Prince is showing improvement as a bowler. Besides being a good yorker bowler, he is now using bouncers, slower balls, and swing deliveries.
Learning from Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma
In his tenure with Delhi and LSG, Prince has seen Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, and Zaheer Khan closely. Prince was always seen taking suggestions regarding bowling strategies, reading batsmen, and handling pressure situations from his seniors. The coach at Delhi, Sarandeep Singh, suggested Prince to pick up the new ball more often than relying on skills in the old ball. This has paid off for Prince in IPL 2026 as he bagged five wickets in his first six overs of the tournament.
About his experience with two of the most successful fast bowlers of India, he said, “After the last IPL, I was in constant touch with Zaheer Khan (LSG mentor last year). I have spent a lot of time with Ishant Sharma in the Delhi state team.”
Prince gained knowledge regarding game awareness and preparations from the experienced India pacer in domestic matches. Zaheer Khan, who kept in contact with Prince even after IPL 2025, helped him in developing his thoughts regarding fast bowling. As India’s pace bowling department is witnessing a phase of change, Prince has already proven himself to handle the pressure. Even if his dream to play in the World Cup seems distant at the moment, IPL 2026 is surely making Prince a name worth following.
