Yash Thakur: I keep faith in Gambhir’s advice, and that is still helping me
Over the past few months, pacer Yash Thakur has had a steep learning curve, shuttling between different levels of cricket while also spending a considerable amount of time warming the bench.
Since the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year, where he played all of two matches in Punjab Kings’ run to the final, Thakur has played in the Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup and was part of the India ‘A’ setup for the series against Australia ‘A’ and South Africa ‘A’, as well as the Asia Cup Rising Stars T20 tournament.
Currently featuring in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Thakur has picked nine wickets in four matches for Vidarbha, including a career-best 5/16 that stopped Kerala in its tracks at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday.
Thakur’s two-year stint with IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants has sharpened the 26-year-old, both in terms of strategy and mindset.
“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 said after dismissing three batters with short-pitched deliveries outside off-stump in the 18th over to restrict Kerala to 164.
READ: The slow mechanics behind India’s eroding home advantage in Test cricket
Meanwhile, current India head coach Gautam Gambhir, who served as a mentor for LSG in 2023, helped Thakur navigate the challenge of playing at different levels.
Former Lucknow Super Giants mentor Gautam Gambhir.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
Former Lucknow Super Giants mentor Gautam Gambhir.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
“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,” Thakur added.
Thakur’s pace and variations make him a strong all-format prospect, but he has had to cool his heels for much of his time in the senior set-up. He played just one of the two Tests against Australia ‘A’ and didn’t feature in the red-ball games against the visiting Protean ‘A’ side despite being in the squad. At the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament, he was picked for just two of India A’s four matches.
But Thakur’s dream of donning the national jersey in all three formats and his belief in the grind of domestic cricket keep him motivated.
“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.
Published on Dec 03, 2025
