New Delhi: Zimbabwe has emerged as India’s top destination for young talent. Just like Abhishek Sharma, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Sai Sudharsan and Tushar Deshpande made their debuts for the Indian team in 2024, this year’s tour also saw Ashok Sharma and Yash Thakur T20I debut. The series also marked the return of Mayank Yadav after a long-term injury.Before the tour began, attention was focused on Mayank and Ashok, both of whom consistently bowled at speeds exceeding 150 kmph. Thakur, however, barely participated in the conversation. The Vidarbha pacer quietly goes about his business, staying away from the hype surrounding India’s new generation of fast bowlers. Why Yash Thakur?In the current crop of young pacers represented by Mayank, Ashok and Gunur Brar, who is fast entering the Indian team, Thakur’s inclusion has surprised many.Zimbabwe has long been a platform for India to test its young cricketers. Here, young people get a chance to prove themselves, and those who perform well tend to strengthen their permanent place in the team. This time, Thakur grabbed the opportunity with both hands.Although he received far less attention than many cricketers, he quietly continued to work hard.Thakur started the series on the bench and Ashok was the first choice for the first T20I. But when his long-awaited opportunity arrived in Game 2, he made an immediate impact.
The 27-year-old pacer, who had been barely talked about before the tour, surprised many by clocking a speed of 140km/h on his first delivery in international cricket.He continued to bowl long-on and off-on on his debut, posting figures of 4-0-30-2. He retained his place in the third and final T20I and impressed again, finishing with figures of 4-0-45-2.
reward for patience
At 27, Thakur waited longer than most to don the India jersey. His greatest strength is his single-mindedness. He never let rejection get to him, and despite being repeatedly ignored, he remained a patient. He always believed that the opportunity would come one day.When it finally happened, he made sure he made the most of it.Thakur was part of India’s win at the 2016 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup and took 9 wickets in the tournament, but he also endured a lot of disappointment before finally featuring for India at the age of 27.He missed the U-19 World Cup. He was never considered a prodigy, nor was he fast-tracked into the senior team. Instead, he continued to work hard and steadily built his career through domestic cricket.
He made his A-list debut for Vidarbha in 2017 and then made his debut in the first-class and T20 seasons over the next two seasons.His breakthrough at home came in the 2021-22 Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he became the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 18 wickets in 7 games. He also played a key role in Vidarbha winning the 2025 Iran Cup.While his parents worried about setbacks, Thakur never lost sight of his goals.This is his story.“In 16 ka, he didn’t score anything in the game. As parents, we were frustrated and discussed why he didn’t take the chances when he was in top form. But when he came, we asked him and he walked into the room silently and said ‘mai aur mehnat karunga’. That’s who he is. He was calm and silently waiting for the opportunity. Maybe it was this quality in him that rewarded him,” Yash’s mother Kajal Thakur told TOI in an exclusive interview.“No mili usko but wo mehnat karna rha. Bhagwaan kuch achha socha tha uske liye. I know this is just the beginning for him. He is a person who keeps his head down and keeps working hard. I am so proud of him,” the mother said.
From karate to cricket
Before becoming a fast bowler in India and the IPL, Thakur’s sporting journey could have taken a completely different path.His father, Ravi Singh Thakur, was a state-level karate champion and wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. Thakur also excelled in the sport, winning medals in junior competitions. But his mother, Kajal, never felt comfortable seeing her son competing in combat sports. Like most mothers, she was constantly worried about getting hurt. Eventually, her concerns led Yash to give up karate and switch to cricket.
“During a match in Solapur, he kicked his opponent’s nose during the match and it started bleeding. That really worried me. What if Yash was in that kid’s position? I had to argue with his father many times, but somehow I managed to take Yash away from karate,” he said.
“Dhoni ke jaise wicketkeeper bannahai”
While his parents debated his future, Ash had already made up his mind.He wanted to be a cricketer.He would spend hours on his terrace watching kids at the nearby cricket academy train. He saw batsmen hitting big hits, bowlers celebrating wickets and wicketkeepers diving behind the stumps. Every day, he stood there and imagined himself on that land.
On the day he finally quit karate, he made a request directly to his father: “mujhe wo academy join karwa do, cricket khelunga.”This decision changed his life.Soon, Yash joined the Praveen Hinganikar Cricket Academy (PHCA) in Nagpur, where he was coached by coach Praveen Hinganikar.“Mai puch usse kya banna chahte ho.. He replied Dhoni ki tarah wicketkeeper batsman,” Hinganikar recalled.Yash was only 10 years old when he joined the academy. For the first few months, he only trained as a goalkeeper.The next training session completely changed his career.“There was no bowler in the net. I asked him to bowl. The moment I saw him bowling, I told him, ‘Abbu put on the gloves nahi pehenna hai, you start bowling’,” recalled Shinganika.This decision was difficult for young Yash to accept.“He was distraught for almost a month because he wanted to become a wicketkeeper. But his father stood by me firmly. He told Yash, ‘Whatever Mr. Praveen says, you have to do this.’ That support made all the difference,” the coach said.
change
Coach Shinganikar soon realized that there was something special about Thakur’s bowling action. But before he can become a true fast bowler, there is one major challenge – his fitness.When a teenager is overweight, the first step is to transform his body.
Rigorous fitness sessions, long-distance runs, sprint training and a strict diet became part of his daily routine. It was only after his fitness improved that his focus shifted entirely to his run-up and bowling. Under the guidance of coach Prashant, Thakur underwent a remarkable transformation, losing excess weight within a year.By the age of 14, the chubby youngster had developed into a fit and athletic fast bowler.“He’s completely different from the others. He’s in a class of his own. He can knock out six yorkers in one round,” Singanyika said.“Now he has lost the fat and he is more muscle than bone. He is stronger now. You ask him to hit 7-8 balls at a trot and he can do it easily. To a hitter, he may not look like he’s hesitating, but looks can be deceiving. He is an excellent bowler. He can deceive the batsmen with slower batsmen and slower yorkers,” the coach said.
A father’s dream
Standing behind Thakur throughout his journey was his father, Ravi Singh Thakur.From dropping him off at the academy and picking him up after training to managing his diet and buying cricket gear, Ravi did everything he could to help his son chase his dreams.But he also has his own dream – to see his son play for India one day.That dream finally came true when the 27-year-old made his debut for India against Zimbabwe. The Vidarbha pacer played two T20I matches and picked up four wickets in his first international duty.Unfortunately, the man who dreamed of that moment was not there to witness it.In 2023, his father died of cardiac arrest.Today, Thakur has fulfilled his father’s dream and his mother continues to fulfill it through her son.Before leaving for Zimbabwe, Thakur told TimesofIndia.com:“Ye papa ka hi dream tha. Aur main unke liye bahut thanks Hoon kyunki first day se jab tak woh the, he always supports me and dekhna chahte the mujhe India jersey mein. Aaj wo hote to bahot khush hote [t was my father’s dream. I am very grateful to him because from day one, until he was with us, he always supported me. If he were here today, he would have been extremely happy]”.
emotional call
When Thakur landed at Nagpur airport after returning from Sri Lanka’s tour of India, he got a call informing him of India’s choice.The first person he called was his mother.“When he called me to tell me about his debut, I was numb on the phone. He kept saying hello! Hello! But I was speechless. When he came home from Sri Lanka, I just hugged him. He crossed his arms in front of his father’s picture and went into his room,” the mother said.
She also remembers how adamant her husband was in wanting to see Yash don the India jersey.“Inke father mein joonoon tha sports ko leke. Wo khud karate karte them. isko bhi banana chahte them. Jab cricket mein transfer hua to wo ye kehte them ki jo mai nkhud nahi kar paya country ke liye, mai chanta hun Yash kare wo ek din – India khele,” she said.
debut
The day before his debut, Yash typed a simple message to his mother.“Mom, kal aap dekhna just matches.”A few short words were enough to move her.The next day, she sat in front of the television and watched her son receive his India cap before taking his first international wicket.At this time, she looked at her husband’s photo and said softly:“Dekho, ab aapka bachcha aaj Indian hat, wear kar gaya hai.”“Maine kisi ko nahi bulaya tha. I started watching the match alone. Bas khushi ke aansu them. Kaash wo hote, to aaj bahot khush hote. Some people came and they said, why don’t I go to Zimbabwe to watch, I said pehla match hai. Aage bahot mauke ayenge,” the mother said.
