An Indian cricketer who plays T20Is for his country despite not being a regular in the IPL is rare. One such exception is Vidarbha quick Yash Thakur. Across four years, Thakur has represented two IPL teams and played just 22 games. He made his India debut during the T20I series against Zimbabwe in July, and bagged four wickets in two games.
That step up came after success in the more low-profile Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He has racked up an impressive record in the seven seasons since his debut in 2018-19, with 81 wickets at an economy rate of 7.04. In the 2025-26 season, he was also Vidarbha's highest wicket-taker with 18 wickets.
Watching successful World Cup campaigns unfold can awaken the sportsperson inside a kid, and that's how it all started for Thakur. He was motivated to play cricket when, as a 12-year-old, he saw India lift the 2011 World Cup at home. Growing up in Nagpur, Thakur met former India quick Umesh Yadav at the Vidarbha Cricket Association. While his first reaction on seeing Umesh was to get a photo clicked with him, Umesh also passed on words of wisdom to leave the teenager in high spirits.
"Umesh bhaiya said, 'fast bowling karni hai to apne dil se karo (if you want to bowl fast, do it with all your heart). There shouldn't be any second thoughts.' I was very young at the time, and got inspired by him to bowl fast," Thakur tells Cricinfo as he prepares to kickstart another domestic season, where he is part of the Central Zone squad ahead of the Duleep Trophy semi-final.
Buoyed by Umesh's advice, Thakur's rise in the cricket world started soon after. After representing Vidarbha Under-19, he lifted the Asia Cup in December 2016 with India Under-19. Two months later, Thakur made his List A debut, his first-class debut in November 2018, and his T20 debut in February 2019. "It just kept happening for me at the time," he says.
But then, Thakur suffered an abdominal tear in 2021, and was on the sidelines for four to five months. He returned to action in the 2022-23 domestic season, and was back to his wicket-taking ways straightaway. He finished as Vidarbha's highest wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy that season with 15 wickets, and also bagged 17 scalps in the Ranji Trophy. Both hauls were his most successful in either tournament, and greater riches followed - literally.
Thakur was picked by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the IPL 2023 auction for INR 45 lakh.
"I wasn't expecting to be picked after going unsold at the mega auction in 2022," he says. "I had great expectations in 2022. But I was grateful that I was eventually taken in 2023, and even got to play for LSG."
Thakur carried his form to the IPL and finished the season with 13 wickets. While he was expensive, going for 9.07 runs per over, he learned handy life lessons.
"Everything was new for me. I was just star-struck on seeing and sharing the dressing room with some top international players," Thakur says. "Seeing [KL] Rahul bhaiya, who was our captain at LSG, I learnt about having clarity and calmness. He spoke to us in such a relaxed manner. Even if our plans didn't come off, he never lost his cool. So those are important things I took back from my first year in the IPL.
"I also met MS Dhoni sir. I told him I felt nervous and under pressure, given I had never played in front of such huge crowds. So he told me I would keep feeling that way even in the future - whether at the IPL or whenever I play for India. His advice was to not overthink, and just let things sink in so that I could relax. This method continues to help me. The moment I feel any pressure, I take my time to settle."
When the 2024 IPL arrived, the limelight finally found Thakur. Playing against Gujarat Titans, LSG had only 163 to defend, and their tearaway quick Mayank Yadav walked off injured after bowling just one over. Rahul turned to Thakur and told him, "It's your day, and you'll win the match for us".
Backed by his captain, Thakur bagged 5 for 30 - his maiden T20 five-for - to be named Player of the Match. He got wickets off his variations, like the scrambled-seam deliveries, with which he dismissed Shubman Gill, as well as another off a slower ball.
Thakur ended the season as LSG's second-highest wicket-taker. When LSG released him ahead of the mega auction for IPL 2025, Punjab Kings signed him for INR 1.60 crore. However, he played only three games for them across two seasons, and the lack of opportunity gave way to frustration.
"I got a chance to speak to Virat [Kohli] bhaiya," Thakur says. "I told him I was frustrated as I wasn't getting to play regularly. So he advised me not to think too much about the future. He said it was just as important to feel grateful for whatever opportunities I have got so far, and that my preparation must improve day by day - so whenever I would get a chance to play, I shouldn't feel I'm not ready. So I started working on [my preparation]."
This year, too, Thakur wasn't a certain starter for Punjab Kings, but he had been on the radar of the national selectors for a while, as he remained prolific in domestic cricket. He was Vidarbha's highest wicket-taker at the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he tested Devdutt Padikkal outside off during a fiery spell in the semi-final against Karnataka before finally dismissing him.
Vidarbha became the Vijay Hazare champions that season, and Thakur was rewarded with a spot in the India A squads. He toured with them for a one-day tri-series in Sri Lanka with Afghanistan as the third team and then for four-day fixtures, again in Sri Lanka, in June and July. On his way back home, he was collecting his luggage at the Nagpur airport when he learned about his "unexpected" call-up to the India side.
"A friend called to inform me of my selection for the Zimbabwe tour," Thakur says. "I thought he was joking, but then he sent me a screenshot of the squad. Then I started getting a lot of congratulatory calls. That is when I believed that I was indeed selected."
On the eve of the second T20I in Zimbabwe, when he was told he would be making his debut, Thakur couldn't sleep the whole night. The following day, he had an eventful start to his debut: Tilak Varma dropped Brian Bennett second ball, then Bennett hit the next one for four. Bennett took a few more boundaries off Thakur, but the debutant kept spearing it in and finally dismissed Bennett off a slower ball.
"You need to keep thinking about taking wickets," he says of his approach in T20s. "That's what gives you the upper hand. It's the idea of taking wickets that will help stop the flow of runs and create pressure."
He has bigger dreams still: he wants to excel in all three formats, like his favourite bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. He also remains in constant touch with his other idol, Umesh, who is "always up for a chat".
Thakur's journey has just begun, and as he starts the domestic season as a capped international for the first time, he hopes bigger and better things are awaiting him.