Prince Yadav made his announcement on the big stage when he played for Lucknow Supergiants against Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2026 and earned high praise from former India batsman Ambati Rayudu for bowling what many called the ‘ball of the tournament’.“In a rain-shortened 19-over match at the Ekana Stadium, Prince dismissed Virat Kohli with a beautiful delivery in RCB’s chase. Bowling at a speed of 140.4 kmph, the young pacer swung over 1.4 degrees after the delivery with a ferocious lunge, piercing the tiny gap between bat and pad and crashing into the outside off-stump. Kohli was taken aback when the LSG players burst into celebration.This wicket holds an extra significance. This marked Kohli’s first IPL duck since 2023 and his first zero in the chase in nine years. The last time he fell in a chase was in 2017 when RCB suffered a 49-run defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.Prince didn’t stop there. He finished with outstanding figures of 3/33 and played a crucial role in LSG’s ninth consecutive DLS victory, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Rayudu was full of admiration for the young fast bowler during ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show.“A lot of bowlers bowl one or two strikes in an over. This guy bowls about four to five. That’s his strength and I don’t think any batsman in the world can do that,” Rayudu said.Rayudu further backed Prince for the higher honour, saying the pacer has the ability to succeed in all formats.“I think it would be a pleasure for him to stand up [to] in the document. Seriously, watching this guy bowl – it’s unbelievable. It will be a great pleasure to stand before him for the first or second time. He is also a potential 50-over bowler. I think he’s an all-round bowler the way he is. ” Rayudu added.Former New Zealand cricketer Katey Martin was equally impressed and described the delivery to Kohli as a perfect fast bowler’s dream.“You have to look at it as the ball of the tournament. Not just because of his ability to swing late, back to the stumps and most importantly, your perfect delivery, maybe the stuff of Prince Yadav’s dreams. Regarding that particular delivery, especially to Virat Kohli, we feel he will be a real key factor in this chase as well. ” she said.Rayudu also highlighted how enjoyable Prince’s performance at slip was because of his ability to consistently bat.“I think he’s going to be a joy to bowl with. Seriously, watching this guy bowl, it’s unbelievable. He’s a potential 50-over bowler as well. I think he’s an all-round bowler.”
