“They had put someone else’s photo” – LSG pacer reveals confusion after being picked for first time in IPL

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Prince Yadav was picked by the franchise during the IPL 2025 auctions for ₹30 lakh. He revealed his experience of being picked and a slight confusion that occurred.

On a podcast with former cricketer Aakash Chopra, Prince Yadav recalled how he was playing for Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) during the IPL 2025 auction. While he was not watching the auction, it was a friend who informed him about being picked by LSG.

However, there was some confusion initially, as a picture of another player with the same name (Prince Yadav) from UP was shown on the broadcast. It was finally cleared up when the management reached out to him after the bid.

“The SMAT was going on, and I was in Mumbai. The auction was going on, but I was not watching it. My friends and others were watching. Some other team was playing SMAT, and I was watching that match instead. My friend came and told me that LSG picked me. I was happy. But he told me they had put someone else’s photo. There is a Prince Yadav from UP. It was his photo. So I had a doubt. I checked the serial number list, and it was mine. But I was not sure. But then I got a message and a call, and then it was clear,” he said.

Prince Yadav also revealed that he was part of LSG as a net bowler a year before being picked by them as a player. He also shared his experience of working with Zaheer Khan, who was their team mentor at the time. The pacer credited Zaheer for helping him develop his game before, during, and even after the IPL season.

“Before being picked, I had been in that environment. I was a net bowler with LSG in the previous season. Zaheer Sir met me, and I thought I could learn a lot from there. It was like I kept finding the right people at the right time. He helped me a lot with my mindset and technique. He told me what to work on, but he also told me we would not work on those things during the season. So he told me we would keep working on the sidelines. I went to him after the IPL and spent 3-4 days with him in Mumbai. He worked with me on the new ball.”

In two seasons for LSG so far, he has picked up 19 wickets from 20 matches at an average of 36.00 and an economy rate of 9.14, with best figures of 3/32.

LSG pacer recalls the moment he got his maiden India call-up

Prince Yadav earned his first India call-up in May 2026 for the ODI series against Afghanistan. He went on to make his debut on June 17, 2026, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The LSG pacer also made his T20I debut soon after, on June 28, 2026, against Ireland at Belfast.

He revealed that he was taking a nap for an IPL game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) when the news broke out and how his family reacted to it.

“I was sleeping. We had a game against Rajasthan. I was taking a nap before the game. When I got up, I saw there were a lot of calls. Then I found out about it. I called my mom, and she started crying. Then, when I went home later, my mom told me that dad would scold her for spoiling me, and she told him look at him now,” he said.

So far, he has played three ODIs and 11 T20Is for the Men in Blue. In 14 matches across formats, he has picked up 15 wickets, with best figures of 3/22 (in T20I).

Edited by Rishab Vm