The ongoing series against Afghanistan has turned into a career-defining moment for fast bowler Prince Yadav, a name that has been making noise on domestic pitches and in the IPL with his raw pace. The bowler who built his reputation in the Lucknow Super Giants jersey was handed his first India appearance in the very city of Lucknow, where he plays his franchise cricket. Ahead of the second ODI, vice-captain Shreyas Iyer presented him with his ODI debut cap.
The Virat Kohli Connection
Prince Yadav may be a fresh name for many fans, but he had already grabbed headlines earlier this year. In an IPL 2026 fixture, he beat Virat Kohli with one of his deliveries and sent him back to the pavilion. After that game ended, Kohli himself stopped to have a long chat with the young quick, a moment that has stayed with Prince ever since.
Where Team India Stands in the Series
Shubman Gill's side leads this three-match ODI series 1-0. The opening contest in Dharamshala was hit by rain, and India chased down a target of 194 runs to win by 7 wickets. A victory in the second game would hand the team an unassailable lead in the series. It is in this match that LSG's young pacer Prince Yadav got to wear the India cap for the first time. He has come into the playing eleven in place of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is sidelined with a quadriceps injury.
Three Debuts in a Single Match
This game marked the international beginning not just for Prince but for three cricketers in all. India's playing eleven also features Kuldeep Yadav and Yashasvi Jaiswal, while Prasidh Krishna and Harsh Dubey had to sit this one out. Afghanistan, meanwhile, backed two new faces of their own. Darwesh Rasooli and Bilal Sami were handed their maiden ODI caps by Afghanistan. That means a total of three players made their ODI debut in the same fixture.
From 30 Lakh to the India Cap
Prince Yadav, who turns out for Rishabh Pant's Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, fittingly received his ODI debut on Lucknow soil itself. The right-arm quick produced an impressive run in IPL 2026. At the previous season's auction, Lucknow roped him in for just 30 lakh. In 2025 he featured in only 6 matches and picked up 3 wickets. This time the side showed full faith in him by playing him in all 14 league games, and Prince repaid that trust by claiming 16 wickets. The Delhi-born bowler has so far played only 2 first-class and 14 List-A matches in his career.
Playing Elevens of Both Sides
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Darwesh Rasooli, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, AM Ghazanfar, Mohammad Salim Safi, Bilal Sami.
