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Yash Thakur almost became a wicketkeeper batter, not a bowler. A cricket coach in Nagpur looked at his height and natural pace and decided otherwise, and that one decision reshaped an entire career that’s now carried him from Kolkata’s junior cricket circuit all the way to India’s T20I squad.
Yash Thakur Biography: Quick Profile
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Yash Ravisingh Thakur |
| Date of Birth | December 28, 1998 |
| Age | 27 Years |
| Birthplace | Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Role | Right-arm Fast-Medium Bowler |
| Domestic Team | Vidarbha |
| IPL Team (2026) | Punjab Kings |
| IPL 2026 Price | ₹1.60 Crore (Retained) |
Source: ESPNcricinfo
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From Kolkata To Nagpur, And From Batting Gloves To The New Ball
Thakur was born in Kolkata but moved to Nagpur in search of better cricket opportunities as a young player. He originally wanted to become a wicketkeeper batter, but coaches at the Pravin Hinganikar Cricket Academy took one look at his height and natural pace and steered him toward fast bowling instead. It turned out to be the right call.
As a teenager he committed to seam bowling and earned selection to India’s Under 19 setup, where he played a role in the team’s 2016 ACC Under 19 Asia Cup win, picking up 9 wickets across 5 matches in that tournament.
Building A Reputation In Domestic Cricket
Playing for Vidarbha, Thakur built his name as a genuine death overs specialist, the bowler trusted to defend a tight total when a match is on the line. In the 2021-22 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he finished as Vidarbha’s leading wicket taker with 18 wickets from just 7 matches. He backed that up with another huge domestic season in the 2022 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, taking 15 wickets in 10 games, good enough for sixth highest overall in the tournament.
Two moments from that campaign stood out in particular, defending just 11 runs in the final over of a group match against Uttarakhand, then defending only 9 in the last over of the quarter final against Delhi. That kind of composure under direct pressure is exactly what makes a death bowler valuable, and it’s what first got IPL scouts paying attention.
The IPL Journey
Lucknow Super Giants signed Thakur in the 2022 mini auction for Rs 45 lakh, initially bringing him in as a net bowler before handing him his actual debut cap in the franchise’s second match of IPL 2023, against Chennai Super Kings, when he came in for Jaydev Unadkat.
His breakout moment came the following season. In IPL 2024, Thakur became the first bowler of that entire season to take a five wicket haul, finishing with 5 for 30 against Gujarat Titans at Ekana Cricket Stadium, a genuine statement performance that cemented his reputation as a franchise level death overs option.
Ahead of the 2025 season, Punjab Kings signed him for Rs 1.60 crore, and the franchise retained him at that same price heading into 2026, trusting his ability to close out innings and control scoring in the tournament’s most pressure filled overs.
Yash Thakur Career Stats
IPL Career
| Matches | Wickets | Best Figures | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 27 | 5/30 | 10.60 |
Note that individual sources show slightly different totals depending on when they were last updated during the ongoing season, but this range accurately reflects his career at the time of writing.
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The India A Performance That Turned Heads
Thakur’s most eye catching recent performance actually came outside the IPL entirely, in the final of the Sri Lanka A tri-series in Dambulla on June 21, 2026. Chasing 378, Sri Lanka A needed at least one of their top order batters to play a substantial innings.
Instead, Thakur removed all three of them himself. Niroshan Dickwella was bowled backing away trying to force a length ball over cover, Avishka Fernando nicked behind, and Nuwanidu Fernando flicked a leg stump half volley straight to a fielder at deep backward square leg.
His figures of 3 wickets in that match played a central role in India A sealing the tri-series with a 66 run win, in a game best remembered for a stunning 29 ball 94 from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The India Call Up
That kind of form, both in the IPL and for India A, is exactly what’s carried Thakur into India’s T20I squad for a three match series in Zimbabwe in July 2026, alongside fellow uncapped and returning names Ashok Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh and Harsh Dubey. It represents a genuine opportunity for a bowler whose career has been built on consistency and composure under pressure rather than a single dramatic breakthrough.
Is Yash Thakur Bengali?
Yes, by birth. Thakur was born in Kolkata, West Bengal, making him ethnically Bengali by birthplace. His cricket career, however, developed almost entirely in Maharashtra after his family moved to Nagpur when he was young in search of better cricketing opportunities. He has represented Vidarbha, a Maharashtra based domestic team, throughout his career, which is why he’s sometimes more closely associated with Vidarbha and Central Zone cricket than with Bengal.
Yash Thakur Social Media
Yash Thakur is active on Instagram at @yashthakur06, with around 61,000 followers. His bio simply reads “Professional Cricketer,” and the account regularly features moments from his IPL and domestic career.
Fastest Ball
No official top speed figure has been widely reported or confirmed for Thakur specifically. He’s generally described as a right arm fast medium bowler rather than an out and out express pace bowler, with his effectiveness built more around yorkers, slower balls, seam movement and composure at the death than raw speed alone.
Caste
No publicly verified information exists about Thakur’s caste background. It is not something he or his team have discussed publicly, and no reliable source confirms it.
Family
His father, Ravi Thakur, passed away in December 2023, on what was Yash’s own 25th birthday. Not long after, Thakur picked up his maiden IPL five wicket haul against Gujarat Titans and dedicated the Player of the Match award to his late father. In an interview, his mother Kajal Thakur described him as remaining stoic through that period rather than outwardly emotional. He also has a sister, Shweta Thakur.
Q: Is Yash Thakur Bengali?
A: Yes, by birth. He was born in Kolkata, West Bengal, though he built his cricket career in Maharashtra after moving to Nagpur and representing Vidarbha.
Q: What is Yash Thakur’s Instagram handle?
A: @yashthakur06, with around 61,000 followers.
Q: What is Yash Thakur’s fastest recorded ball speed?
A: No official top speed has been widely confirmed. He’s known more for his death overs skill set, yorkers, slower balls and composure under pressure, than for outright express pace.
Q: What is Yash Thakur’s caste?
A: No publicly verified information exists about his caste background.
Q: How old is Yash Thakur?
A: He was born on December 28, 1998, making him 27 years old as of 2026.
Q: Which IPL team does Yash Thakur play for?
A: Punjab Kings, who retained him at Rs 1.60 crore ahead of the 2026 season, after he originally came through the Lucknow Super Giants system.
Q: What is Yash Thakur’s best IPL performance?
A: 5 wickets for 30 runs against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024, making him the first bowler of that entire season to take a five wicket haul.
Q: What is Yash Thakur’s bowling style?
A: Right arm fast medium, known in particular as a death overs specialist for his yorkers, slower balls and composure in high pressure situations.
Q: How did Yash Thakur perform in the Sri Lanka A tri-series final?
A: He picked up 3 wickets, removing Sri Lanka A’s entire top three, helping India A win the tri-series final by 66 runs in Dambulla.
Q: Why was Yash Thakur selected for India’s T20I squad against Zimbabwe?
A: His call up came on the back of strong recent form for India A, including a 3 wicket performance in the Sri Lanka A tri-series final, combined with his established IPL record as a death overs specialist.
Q: Did Yash Thakur always want to be a bowler?
A: No. He originally wanted to be a wicketkeeper batter, before coaches at his academy in Nagpur redirected him toward fast bowling because of his height and natural pace.