Prince Yadav Makes ODI Debut for India at Ekana Stadium

Prince Yadav's Historic ODI Debut

In a significant moment for Indian cricket, Prince Yadav became the 263rd player to receive an ODI cap, making his debut during the second match of the series held in Lucknow. Initially, he was set to debut in the first match, but due to the game being reduced to 25 overs per side, the plans were altered. The right-arm pacer was presented with his first cap by vice-captain Shreyas Iyer. The Ekana Stadium holds special significance for Prince, as he represents the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL. LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka expressed his joy over Prince's debut with a heartfelt message on social media, stating, "What a moment. Prince Yadav makes his India debut at Ekana, his home ground with @LucknowIPL. To earn his India cap here, where the Lucknow crowd has backed him all season, makes it special for all of us. Go well, Prince. Lucknow is behind you, and so is India."

Prince, who plays for Delhi in domestic cricket, was acquired by LSG for ₹30 lakh during the IPL 2025 mega-auction. In his inaugural IPL season, he took 3 wickets across six matches. His performance improved significantly in the following season, where he claimed 16 wickets in 14 matches, leading to his selection for the ODI team.

Prince Yadav's Performance in His First ODI

During his debut ODI, Prince faced a setback in his third over when he dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz, only for the replays to reveal it was a no-ball. He eventually secured his first official wicket in the sixth over, taking out Nangeyalia Kharoti for just 6 runs. Additionally, Prince is included in the T20I squad and will be traveling to Ireland and England for upcoming bilateral series, although he will not participate in the Asian Games. There is a possibility he could lose his place in the ODI team for the second leg of the series scheduled for July.