Vidarbha pacer Yash Thakur has been handed his senior debut cap and he will be making his international debut for India in the 2nd of the 3-match T20I series against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club. Indian captain Shreyas Iyer revealed during toss time that Thakur will replace pacer Ashok Sharma in the playing XI.
Born on December 28, 1998 in Kolkata, Yash Thakur represents Vidarbha in the domestic circuit and has built a reputation for being an effective death-overs specialist, thanks to his sharp Yorkers and deceptive variations.
Yash Thakur’s journey so far
Yash Thakur began his journey in professional cricket through age-group tournaments, featuring in the India Under-19 team that won the 2016 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup, where he took a total of 9 wickets. He made his List A debut for Vidarbha in 2017 and followed it up with his first-class and T20 debuts over the next two seasons.
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His domestic breakthrough came during the 2021-22 Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he finished as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with 18 scalps in 7 outings. He also played a key role in Vidarbha’s Irani Cup title win in 2025.
Thakur’s breakthrough in the Indian Premier League
Yash Thakur entered the Indian Premier League when North Indian outfit Lucknow Super Giants bought him ahead of the 2023 season and he showcased his impact instantly, registering 13 wickets in 9 matches at a decent strike rate of 9.8.
In the very next season, Thakur grabbed attention during IPL 2024 by taking a 5-wicket haul (5/30) against Gujarat Titans, which was also the first fifer of that season. Overall, he has picked up 27 wickets in 22 matches in the cash rich league. Yash now represents the Punjab Kings.
After progressing step-by-step through domestic cricket and strong performances in the IPL and for India A, Thakur earned his maiden call-up to the Indian team for the tour of Zimbabwe. Upon making his debut in Harare, he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity, calling it the culmination of years of hard work across every level of domestic cricket.
Yash Thakur will now be hoping to make an instant impact on his senior India debut against Zimbabwe in the 2nd T20I at Harare.
India Vs Zimbabwe, 2nd T20I: Playing XIs
India XI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur and Mayank Yadav.
Zimbabwe XI: Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (C), Ryan Burl, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani (WK), Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri, Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani.
