Exclusive | ‘This moment belongs to my father’: Yash Thakur gets first call-up to India team, Shreyas Iyer, Morne Morkel and Ricky Ponting | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: The Nagpur airport was buzzing with passengers rushing to collect their luggage and catch connecting flights. in chaos, Yash ThakurThe phone rang and he received the call of his lifelong dream – the first time he received a call from India.The 27-year-old fast bowler had just arrived in Nagpur when he learned that he had been selected in the Indian team for the T20I series against Zimbabwe. This is a reward for years of hard work in domestic cricket and the IPL. But for Yash, this moment was about more than living a dream. This was to fulfill the dream of his late father Ravi Singh Thakur. In 2023, Yash’s father passed away from cardiac arrest, just months before his son’s career began to reach new heights.“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 [It 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],” Yash told Timesofindia.com.“He has always been my biggest inspiration. He has done so much for me and my career. I have seen him make countless sacrifices for me. This moment belongs to him and is dedicated to him,” he said.
with reunion Morn Morkel
A familiar face waiting for Yash in the Indian dressing room will be India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel.The two worked together at Lucknow Supergiants before Yash moved to Kings XI Punjab and the pacer said the former South African fast bowler helped him improve both technically and mentally.“I learned a lot about the technical aspects of fast bowling from Morne Morkel when I was at LSG. He has so much international experience. I learned from him the technical aspects of bowling, how to back your strengths, how to trust your skills on different wickets and how to take wickets. We have a really good connection at LSG, so I’m excited to see him again, discuss these things and continue to learn from him,” he said.
Since making his A-list debut in 2017, Yash has taken nearly 100 wickets in 57 games, played 74 T20 matches and played 22 IPL matches for Lucknow Supergiants and Kings XI Punjab, taking 27 wickets, including five wickets.“He always told me, ‘You have a good cricket brain, but always think about which pitches suit your strengths on a particular pitch and which balls can help you take wickets.’ He made bowling very simple. Before every spell, we would discuss which pitches would be most effective for that wicket and how I could take the wicket there,” Yash said.“In my first IPL season in 2023, he helped me a lot in every game I played. Those discussions with him shaped the way I think. My mentality is always about taking wickets. Pressure situations actually excite me because that’s when I want to take wickets and help my team win. Bowling in pressure situations motivates me more,” he said.
Learn from Shreyas Iyer
Yash is one of three players to receive a maiden T20I call-up from India for the tour of Zimbabwe. Wicketkeeper-batsman Prabhusimran Singh and Rajasthan pacer Ashok Sharma are the other two newcomers.If Yash makes his international debut, he will once again play under the captaincy of Kings XI Punjab, Shriyas Iyer. Yash, who has already spent one season in the IPL under Iyer, believes the India skipper’s biggest strength is the confidence he gives to the bowlers.
The Vidarbha pacer is now eager to start his international tour under Iyer’s leadership.“Shriyas is a great captain. I have learned a lot from him. Yes, he is an aggressive captain who always wants his team to stay ahead. He has his own unique way of working. I always say he is the captain of the bowlers. He talks to the bowlers first, discusses the plan with them and gives them complete freedom. I played under him in the IPL and now coming back to the Indian team under his leadership will help me a lot,” said the 27-year-old.
Ponting’s winning mentality
Yash also played in the IPL under the leadership of Kings XI Punjab Ricky Pontingwhose influence extends far beyond tactics.Asked if Ponting was a tough taskmaster, Yash said the Australian legend’s never-give-up attitude and ability to inspire confidence set him apart.“The biggest lesson I learned from Mr. Ricky is that no matter what the situation is, you should always think about winning. You should always think about how to win the game and help the team win. That’s his mentality. No matter what happens or what the situation is, your focus should always be on winning. That winning mentality should never change. Watching him taught me that no matter what happens, you have to do your best for the team and always think about winning.he said.Yash also recalled a speech given by Ponting in the dressing room that summed up his mentality perfectly.Earlier in this IPL season, Punjab Kings posted a score of 265 against Delhi Capitals after KL Rahul’s unbeaten knock of 152 helped Delhi post a win of 264/2.Many in the locker room felt that goal was out of reach. However, Ponting sent a different message.“When we got back to the locker room, Mr. Rich only said one thing: ‘I don’t care what it is. From the first goal, our mentality should be that no matter what the score is, we will chase it. “Eventually we chased down the target, won the match and recorded the most successful run chase in the IPL in that match,” Yash said.“That’s his mentality. He boosted the confidence of every member of the team. We were very happy after winning that game. It was really a memorable game,” he added.Yash believes Iyer has the same fearless attitude.“Shreyas is the same. His mentality is exactly the same. No matter what the situation is, we have to fight to win and make sure we win,” the 27-year-old said.
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