Prince Yadav has the attributes to be a successful ODI pacer. Image Credits: AFP
The Afghanistan ODI series will give India a chance to try out a few fresh faces and prepare for the 2027 World Cup. Among them is Prince Yadav, who will likely make his national debut in the IND vs AFG ODI series.
Among the finest domestic talents, Prince has a chance to become a permanent member of India’s 50-over side. To his credit, he possesses a skill set that could translate well to the international game.
The reverse-swing threat of Prince Yadav
When Prince Yadav emerged onto the IPL scene in 2025, he impressed in patches, but his main contributions came with the old ball. He was mostly used outside the powerplay and showed the ability to find reverse swing.
During this season, Prince generated reverse swing on around 28.08% deliveries in the final 10 overs of the innings. Overall, he found a median swing of 0.96°, the fifth-most among all pacers with at least 60 balls.
Even in IPL 2026, the Delhi pacer bowled ample overs in the second half of the innings, extracting a median swing of around 0.75° with the old ball. Overall, Prince Yadav has found a median swing of 0.83° across two seasons, the seventh-most among pacers with at least 150 balls.
Prince Yadav can move the new and old ball
His expertise aligns perfectly with the recently revised ODI playing conditions that allow teams to use one ball after the 34th over. With more opportunities for reverse swing later in the innings, Prince's skill set becomes particularly valuable.
India already have quality new-ball operators in Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, with Arshdeep Singh also in the mix, but they still need additional options who can control the latter stages. Prince's deceptive pace, skiddy release and ability to reverse the ball make him a strong candidate for that role.
New-ball abilities
While IPL 2025 highlighted Prince Yadav's effectiveness with an older ball, IPL 2026 showcased his development as a new-ball bowler. He was used more with the new ball this season, with his share of powerplay deliveries rising from 17.51% to 36.53%.
A notable shift was reliance on good-length deliveries, which worked well for all pacers this season. In 2025, the LSG speedster bowled only 20.83% deliveries between 6-8 meters, but the figure surged to 32.79% in 2026.
Prince extracted a significant swing of 1.07° in the first six overs, the fourth-most among pacers with at least 60 balls. At the same time, he also found a 0.37° seam deviation with the new ball.
His ability to extract movement in the air and off the pitch fetched him ample success. He earned seven wickets at 23.57 runs apiece and an economy rate of 8.68 in this phase in IPL 2026.
His spell against Delhi Capitals in Lucknow was a good example. Prince generated substantial swing and seam movement, dismissing two batters inside the powerplay while consistently beating the bat.
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With two new balls used in ODIs as well, Prince could be equally effective as he was in IPL. He will also get extended spells at various stages of the innings to showcase his new and old-ball skills.
A strong fit for India's ODI plans
Prince Yadav’s improved new-ball abilities, combined with his old-ball attributes, were the biggest reason behind his introduction to the ODI setup. They have the likes of Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana for hit-the-deck abilities, but Prince brings his own skills.
He has started zooming more on the stumps and developed an outswinger lately. Then, his recently developed slower balls have really made him a solid prospect.
In IPL 2025, Prince Yadav's death-over plans revolved heavily around high-pace yorkers. He bowled only 12.38% off-pace deliveries after the powerplay and attempted yorkers on 18.33% of balls, but also conceded 10.83% full tosses and 20.83% slot deliveries.
A year later, Prince became far more varied. His slower-ball usage rose to 18.18%, while yorkers dropped to 9.39%, and the added variation helped reduce full tosses (6.06%) and slot deliveries (8.48%) significantly.
Prince Yadav bowled more shorter lengths in IPL 2026
Prince Yadav started bowling shorter lengths more and often generated extra bounce off the surface, including a sharp bouncer. Rewind to his spell against RCB in Lucknow.
Virat Kohli’s wicket grabbed instant limelight, but his delivery to remove Jitesh Sharma in the 11th set was a better illustration of his unique attributes. Prince delivered a short ball that kept climbing to take the top edge of the willow, as Jitesh was beaten with bounce.
Earlier, he had occasionally surprised Devdutt Padikkal with a couple of shorter-length deliveries with a relatively new ball. This was a constant feature of his bowling: extra bounce and deceptive pace, often accompanied by significant movement.
Those qualities explain why he was fast-tracked to the ODI setup. He enjoyed a brilliant Vijay Hazare Trophy, grabbing 18 wickets at an average of 19.28 in eight outings.
India's preparations for the 2027 World Cup will require bowlers capable of contributing across multiple phases of an innings. Prince Yadav's ability to move the new ball, reverse the old one and vary his pace gives him a profile few emerging Indian pacers possess.
The Afghanistan series will provide India an opportunity to test those skills across different phases of an innings. If his IPL improvements are any indication, Prince Yadav has the tools to become a valuable option for India in conditions that reward movement and variation.
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