Prince Yadav’s 13 runs off just six balls may not look like a big contribution on paper, but in a match India won by 14 runs, those late runs proved valuable.
Walking in during the final over of the third T20I against the West Indies in Indore, the fast bowler struck three boundaries off Shamar Joseph to help India finish at 223 in 20 overs.
With the West Indies pushing hard in the chase, every run India added to the total mattered. Prince’s quick cameo, alongside Arshdeep Singh’s 11 off eight balls, gave the hosts a useful late boost before their bowlers sealed a 14-run victory.
But there was an interesting story behind Prince’s timely hitting. After the match, he revealed that he had used Abhishek Sharma’s bat for his cameo, with the star opener giving him a playful instruction before he walked out to bat.
“Obviously, brother, it is great to contribute to the team, whether it’s with the ball, bat, or in the fielding. So, I am feeling good. So, Abhi bhaiya gave me his bat earlier and said, ‘don’t embarrass the bat’. So, I kept its honour,” Prince told BCCI.tv in a chat with Abhishek after the game.
Meanwhile, Abhishek also heaped praise on Prince for his ability to hit crucial runs at the end.
“I’ve seen his batting; if anyone hasn’t seen it, he’s famous in Delhi for ‘single phatti’. Single phatti means one-on-one matches. In that, you have to both bat and bowl.
“So he has that talent to hit sixes and fours. We saw a bit of it today, and we’ll see more in future. As for the bat, well…you need power too,” Abhishek said.
Prince revealed that he had also used Abhishek’s bat in Ireland, where he hit a six, and vowed to use the opener’s willow again in the future.
“I played with Abhi bhaiya’s bat in Ireland too,” Prince said, before Abhishek quipped, “he hit a six there.”
“Yeah, I hit a six in Ireland too and here as well. So, I will take bhaiya’s bat the next time too,” Prince added.
Abhishek replied, “Granted,” as Prince thanked the star batter for lending him the bat.
India captain Shreyas Iyer also praised Prince for his late contribution.
“We steadied the ship in the middle order as well. That took us to a commendable total of 223. Even Prince coming and playing that cameo at the end, those were useful runs, I felt,” Shreyas said during the post-match presentation.