Prince Yadav's Historic ODI Call-Up Celebrated by Family and Community
A Proud Moment for Prince Yadav's Family
In New Delhi, Ram Niwas Yadav, the father of cricketer Prince Yadav, expressed overwhelming happiness following his son's first call-up to the national ODI team, describing it as a moment that surpasses even the excitement of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
He revealed that the entire community came together to celebrate this significant achievement, and the family made visits to local temples to express their gratitude. Ram Niwas reminisced about Prince's challenging journey, highlighting that he played with tennis balls until he was 17 or 18 years old, often funding his own cricketing expenses and even forgoing tuition fees to purchase equipment. Despite being advised to concentrate on academics due to the fierce competition in cricket, Prince remained dedicated to the sport from a young age.
His father shared that Prince's lifelong aspiration was to don the Indian jersey, and the emotional phone call he received announcing his selection was a proud and unexpected moment for the entire family.
Ram Niwas stated, "The entire community gathered. We also visited the temples. It was a complete surprise, even bigger than the IPL. His hard work paid off. From childhood, he wanted to play cricket, though I encouraged him to focus on studies because competition is tough. He played mostly with tennis balls until the age of 17-18, winning trophies from Surat, Mumbai, and often covering his own expenses. He would skip tuition, using the money for cricket gear instead. His interest shifted fully to cricket around the age of 10-11. His dream was always to wear the India jersey. Yesterday he called me, saying, 'Papa, I’ve been selected for India.' It was a huge surprise and a moment of great joy."
Prince Yadav received his first ODI call-up as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads for the upcoming series against Afghanistan, which includes a one-off Test and three ODIs. Shubman Gill will continue to captain the Indian side in both formats, with KL Rahul serving as vice-captain for the Test match. Shreyas Iyer is making a return to the ODI squad and will once again act as Gill's deputy.
This series marks India's return to the field following their victory in the Men's T20 World Cup 2026 held at home and the conclusion of the IPL.
ODI Squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma*, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya*, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, and Harsh Dubey.