Vidarbha pacer Yash Thakur registered his best bowling figures in T20s against Kerala. Thakur took five wickets for 16 runs against Sanju Samson-led side in their six-wicket win including three in the 18th over. The pacer who played for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) before warming the bench in Punjab Kings (PBKS) dugout for most of the previous season his former mentor Gautam Gambhir's advice. He used his experience bowling in Lucknow to the best effect in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 clash.
“I was with Lucknow Super Giants for two years, so I knew the nature of the pitch here. That definitely helped me today. Before coming here, I had discussed with the coaches [at NCA] about which variations would come in handy in Lucknow. They spoke about using slower bouncers, which I used today,” Thakur told Sportstar.
“When I was in LSG, Gautam sir was the mentor. He had told me to believe in myself. ‘You have come to the IPL after performing well in domestic cricket. There is not much difference between domestic cricket and the IPL. It doesn’t matter whether a domestic batter or an international batter is batting. On the ground, everyone is the same, and you have to consider yourself the best.’ I keep faith in that advice, and that is still helping me,” the 26-year-old added.
Despite not getting enough chances at PBKS, he was retained for Rs 1.6 crore ahead of the mini-auction. So far, he has taken nine wickets from four games in the SMAT 2025.
Thakur making an impact in recent times
Thakur has been part of the India A squads as well. Most recently, he played in the Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025, taking two wickets from as many games. He took six wickets including a four-fer in the Irani Cup 2025. He played one unofficial Test against Australia A in September 2025 as well, taking two wickets in a winning cause. Like everyone, he has ambitions of playing for the senior India side. Currently, he is grateful for the opportunities at India A and wants to focus on the present.
“When I started playing cricket, I had only one dream—playing for India and winning the World Cup. That motivates me every day. I need to perform wherever I get chances instead of thinking about why I am not getting to play.
“Domestic cricket is a good platform for developing skills. Our T20 domestic cricket has become a bit like the IPL. Scores of 200 and 250 have become common. You have to sometimes defend low scores also, so it is very competitive... I am grateful that I got a chance in the India-A setup. But I don’t think so much [about a national call-up] that I lose focus on the present,” Thakur said.