# Prince Yadav: From Father’s Beatings to IPL Stardom URL: https://technosports.co.in/prince-yadav-from-fathers-beatings-to/ Published: 2026-04-22 Updated: 2026-04-22 Author: Sudeshna Ghosh [Prince Yadav](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Yadav)‘s incredible journey from tennis-ball cricket in Najafgarh to IPL success with LSG. Discover how the ‘bigda hua’ son defied his father’s wishes to become India’s yorker king. ## The ‘Bigda Hua’ Son Who Proved Everyone Wrong In the dusty bylanes of Dariyapur Khurd, a village beyond Virender Sehwag’s birthplace Najafgarh, a young boy would sneak out every evening to play tennis-ball cricket. His crime? Chasing a dream his father refused to acknowledge. His punishment? Regular beatings that would make most children quit. But Prince Yadav wasn’t most children. “Bahut maar khaata thaa ghar pe,” recalls the Lucknow Super Giants pacer with a mischievous smile that betrays the pain those words carry. Translation: I used to get beaten a lot at home. This is the untold story of how a ‘spoiled’ son who disappointed his Railway Protection Force father became the swing sensation dismantling India’s finest batsmen in the IPL 2026. ## When a Father’s Fear Met a Son’s Dream Ram Niwas Yadav, an Assistant Sub-Inspector with the Railway Protection Force, had simple dreams for his youngest son: stable government job, steady income, respectable life. What he got instead was a boy obsessed with bowling yorkers to neighborhood friends with tennis balls. “Any father would be worried about the future of his kids, and so was I,” admits Ram Niwas, his voice thick with the memory of those anxious years. Till the age of 18, Prince had not even touched a leather ball once. The worried father literally forced him to appear for Delhi Police’s Constables’ Exam, and Prince cleared the physical round with ease. ![Prince Yadav](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-218.png) But on exam day, Prince made his choice. He skipped the test. “Papa aap mera chinta karna chhod dijiye. Main apne se kuch kar loonga,” the teenager told his father with quiet confidence. Dad, stop worrying about me. I will manage something on my own. ### The Tennis Ball Prodigy Nobody Expected Until age 17, Prince had never imagined becoming a professional cricketer and played exclusively tennis-ball cricket in his village. He was that kid every neighborhood has—the one who could bowl unplayable yorkers with a tennis ball, the one who turned local tournaments into personal showcases. What Ram Niwas saw as time-wasting, Prince saw as his calling. While other boys studied for entrance exams, Prince perfected his yorker, developed swing that could deceive batsmen even with a tennis ball, mastered the art of back-spin that would later become his trademark. The breakthrough came when Lalit Yadav, who played for Delhi and Delhi Capitals, happened to watch a leather-ball tournament near their village. Lalit noticed Prince bowling and, along with Delhi Ranji players Vision Panchal and Rohan Rathi, advised him to join an academy in Najafgarh. Prince was 17. Most professional cricketers start training at 10 or 12. He had 15 kilometers to travel each way. His father was skeptical. His family barely managed on an ASI’s salary. “Bete ki zid hai aur humein pura karna thaa,” Ram Niwas finally relented. It was his passion, so I had to believe in him. ### The Two-Year Ban That Could Have Ended Everything Just when things were looking up, disaster struck. In December 2020, the BCCI banned Prince for two years for age fraud, ruling he could only play senior cricket after the ban. “That was a very dark phase,” Prince admits, the pain still evident. Most careers would end there. Most dreams would collapse under that weight. But Prince had spent his entire life being told he couldn’t make it. One more obstacle wasn’t going to stop him. Former Delhi fast bowler Pradeep Sangwan came to him and offered to train him during the ban period. For two years, while his peers played competitive cricket, Prince quietly trained, bowled at nets, maintained fitness, and played tennis-ball cricket to keep his skills sharp. His father watched his son’s determination with growing respect. “I was very nervous and didn’t know how he would handle the two-year ban. It’s a lengthy period. But he just told me to relax, got gym equipment at home, and trained every day.” ### The IPL Arrival That Changed Everything When the ban lifted, Prince could hit the ground running immediately, having maintained his fitness and skills throughout the suspension. He took the most wickets for Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy, earning his IPL contract with Lucknow Super Giants. IPL 2025 was modest—six games, three wickets. But LSG saw something special. They retained him. And in IPL 2026, Prince exploded onto the scene, breaching the defenses of experienced India internationals like Axar Patel and Ishan Kishan in successive games. His father’s phone hasn’t stopped ringing since. Neighbors from Kheda Dabar village throng their modest home. “Usne iss dehat ka naam roushan kar diya,” they tell Ram Niwas proudly. He has brought fame to this hamlet. ### The Secret Behind the Swing At first glance, Prince doesn’t look like a fearsome fast bowler. He doesn’t stand very tall, and his ultra-lean physique is misleading. But LSG bowling coach Bharat Arun claims Prince has all the ingredients to make him a special fast bowler, with swing, variations, slower balls, and yorkers. His coach Amit Vashistha from Sporting Cricket Club Najafgarh explains the secret: “He could bowl yorkers and even swing the tennis ball at a decent clip. His basics were strong, he could impart back-spin on the ball, he had good arm speed—traits essential for swing bowling.” And during LSG practice sessions, it’s impossible to see Prince too far from Mohammed Shami. “You have to be blessed to bowl with someone like Shami,” Prince gushes. “He is always with all the young fast bowlers. He will talk about life off the field whenever we are not practicing.” ### The Journey in Numbers | **Milestone** | **Details** | | --- | --- | | **Age Started Professional Cricket** | 17 years (extremely late by cricket standards) | | **Ban Duration** | 2 years (2020-2022) | | **IPL Debut** | 2025 with Lucknow Super Giants | | **2026 IPL Performance** | 2/25 vs Punjab Kings (standout figures) | | **Vijay Hazare Trophy 2026** | 16 wickets in 7 matches, economy 5.03 | | **BCCI Status** | Shortlisted as targeted fast bowler for future | ### What Makes Prince’s Story Different? Cricket is littered with rags-to-riches tales, but [Prince’s](https://technosports.co.in/tag/prince-yadav-father/) journey stands apart for three reasons: **1. The Late Start:** Most international cricketers touch a cricket ball before they turn 10. Prince was 17 when he first held a leather ball. **2. The Ban:** A two-year suspension at the crucial developmental age would destroy most careers. Prince used it to get stronger. **3. The Father’s Transformation:** From beating his son for playing cricket to watching neighbors celebrate his IPL performances, Ram Niwas’s journey mirrors every parent who learns to trust their child’s dreams. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) **Q1: Who is Prince Yadav?** Prince Yadav is a fast bowler from Najafgarh who plays for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL. Known for his yorkers and swing bowling, he rose from tennis-ball cricket to professional cricket at age 17. **Q2: Why did Prince Yadav’s father oppose his cricket career?** Prince’s father, Ram Niwas Yadav, a Railway Protection Force ASI, worried about his son’s future. Prince played only tennis-ball cricket until 18 and showed no interest in studies or stable employment. **Q3: What was Prince Yadav’s ban about?** In December 2020, the BCCI banned Prince for two years due to age fraud. The ban ruled he could only play senior cricket afterward, effectively ending his under-age career opportunities. **Q4: How did Prince Yadav train during his ban?** Former Delhi fast bowler Pradeep Sangwan mentored him throughout the two-year ban. Prince trained at home with gym equipment, practiced at nets, and played tennis-ball cricket to maintain skills. **Q5: What is Prince Yadav’s bowling style?** Prince is a swing bowler known for yorkers, variations, and slower balls. He can swing the ball both ways and has good arm speed, making him effective in limited-overs cricket. **Q6: Did Prince Yadav skip the Delhi Police exam?** Yes, Prince’s father forced him to appear for the Delhi Police Constables’ Exam, which he qualified physically but skipped on exam day to pursue cricket. **Q7: Who discovered Prince Yadav’s talent?** Delhi and Delhi Capitals player Lalit Yadav discovered Prince at a leather-ball tournament when Prince was 17 and advised him to join Amit Vashistha’s academy in Najafgarh. **Q8: What is Prince Yadav’s current status in Indian cricket?** Prince is in the BCCI’s shortlist of targeted fast bowlers and is seen as a potential candidate to carry India’s fast bowling forward, especially in white-ball formats. --- ## Prince Yadav vs Other Late Bloomers in Cricket | **Cricketer** | **Professional Start Age** | **Breakthrough** | **Unique Challenge** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Prince Yadav** | 17-18 years | IPL 2026 with LSG | Tennis-ball background, 2-year ban | | **Rahul Dravid** | 19 years | Ranji Trophy 1991 | Late bloomer by ’90s standards | | **Virat Kohli** | 18 years (U-19 WC) | IPL 2008 | Standard trajectory | | **Mohammed Shami** | 20 years (First-Class) | Test debut 2013 | Late entry to professional cricket | --- ## Key Takeaways from Prince Yadav’s Journey **For Aspiring Cricketers:** - It’s never too late to start—Prince began at 17 when most are already established - Setbacks like bans can be turning points if you maintain discipline - Tennis-ball cricket isn’t wasted time—it can build foundational skills **For Parents:** - Supporting unconventional dreams doesn’t mean abandoning responsibility - Your child’s passion might be their greatest strength - Trust can transform “bigda hua” (spoiled) into “kaamiyaab” (successful) **For Sports Administrators:** - Second chances matter—ban policies need rehabilitation pathways - Late entrants can succeed with proper support systems - Talent exists beyond traditional cricket nurseries --- ## The Road Ahead Prince Yadav is now counted among the BCCI’s targeted fast bowlers, a shortlist of talents identified to carry Indian cricket’s pace attack forward. His coach Vashistha dreams of seeing him in India whites, believing swing bowlers who master white-ball cricket can excel in Test cricket too. But for Prince, the journey itself is the victory. From a boy who faced beatings for playing cricket to a professional earning respect on national television, from disappointing his father to making him proud, from Dariyapur Khurd’s dusty fields to the IPL’s bright lights—Prince Yadav has already achieved what seemed impossible. And every time he bowls a yorker that crashes into the stumps, every time a batsman walks back shaking his head, every time Mohammed Shami gives him that approving nod, Prince proves something profound: Dreams don’t require permission. They require persistence. Ram Niwas watches the IPL now, his phone buzzing with congratulatory messages, neighbors dropping by to celebrate. “Bahut maar khaata thaa ghar pe,” his son had said with that mischievous smile. The beatings have stopped. The applause has begun. And somewhere in Najafgarh, a father who once worried about his ‘bigda hua’ son now worries about something else entirely—how to handle all the pride bursting in his chest.