Lucknow Super Giants pacer Prince Yadav has shared a story about the time he dismissed Virat Kohli. It happened in the 2026 IPL season. RCB were chasing 213 in Lucknow. Prince bowled Virat Kohli for a two-ball duck with a very good delivery. Usually, fans abuse players who get Kohli out on social media.
But Prince said he got a different reaction. He did not open his social media himself. His brother did. His brother told him that when other players dismiss Kohli, his fans abuse them. But for Prince, there was a soft corner. He did not get abused. People only said good things. Some wrote, “Being an RCB fan, very well bowled, what a delivery.” Prince said he does not use Instagram.
Prince also talked about what his father said after that big wicket. His father congratulated him. But he told him to focus on the next game. His father does not get too excited. Prince explained how his father always pushed him to do better at each stage. When Prince was playing IPL, his father would say, so what? You are not playing domestic for Delhi yet. When he played IPL, his father said he would accept it when Prince played for India.
Prince took three wickets in that game. He also got Devdutt Padikkal and Jitesh Sharma out. LSG won by a close margin of nine runs.
Prince also revealed that his father wanted a different career for him. He wanted his son to work in the Railways or the Police. His father liked cricket. But he thought everyone plays, so how would Prince make a future with so much competition. Prince was only playing tennis ball cricket, not leather ball. That is why his father was not convinced. Prince filled out the form for the physical test for Delhi Police because of his father. But there was a written exam after that, and he did not take it.
Prince eventually played in the IPL and made his debut with LSG. He also made his international debut soon after. So far, he has played three ODIs and 11 T20Is. He is currently with the Indian team in New Zealand.
…Tennis-Ball Cricket Roots Help Him Become India’s Go-To Death-Over Bowler
Prince Yadav is 24 years old and comes from Najafgarh in Delhi. He grew up playing tennis-ball cricket on dusty grounds. He looks back on those days with fondness. He says tennis-ball cricket gave him his arm speed. The ball does not swing or seam much. Prince often practised with a wet tennis ball, which was heavier. That helped him handle real match pressure. He would aim to bowl yorkers as fast as he could.
Some of the best yorker bowlers started with tennis or tape-ball cricket. Waqar Younis and Lasith Malinga are examples. They had quick arms built by bowling fast in narrow spaces. Prince is similar. He bowls yorkers at a high pace. When he misses, he usually bowls a low full toss instead of a hittable length ball. That skill has made him India’s go-to man at the death.
In both games in New Zealand, Shreyas Iyer gave him the last over. He gave away very little. Only one four was hit off him. That was a lucky scoop by Michael Bracewell over the keeper. Of the 12 balls he bowled, six were yorkers or close to them. Just one was a slow good-length ball, and that is the one that went for four. Most of his yorkers and low full tosses landed on off-stumps or just outside. That stopped batters from squeezing the ball past the keeper. He rarely bowls onto the body, where smart batters could scoop or glide him fine.
Prince has added other skills since moving to the leather ball. He has developed a sharp out-swinger. He can also produce a magic ball, like the one that knocked over Virat Kohli’s stumps in an IPL game. That ball was released like an out-swinger. It pitched and came back a little to hit the stumps. That wicket made him famous. But he knows the yorker is what made him. And he thanks his tennis-ball days for that.
FAQs
Q. Which IPL team does Prince Yadav play for?
A. Prince Yadav plays for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL.
Q. How did Prince dismiss Virat Kohli in IPL 2026?
A. Prince bowled Kohli for a two-ball duck during RCB’s chase against Lucknow Super Giants.
Q. How many wickets did Prince take in that match?
A. Prince took three wickets, dismissing Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, and Jitesh Sharma.
Q. How did Prince Yadav’s father react to his cricketing success?
A. His father congratulated him but encouraged him to focus on the next match.
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