Yash Thakur

India have had a recent influx of quality fast bowlers and Yash Thakur is another product in the vast growing stock. Yash was born in Kolkata on 28th December 1998 but made his List A debut representing Vidarbha in the 2016–17 Vijay Hazare Trophy at a very young age. He made his first-class debut in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy and played his first T20 game in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy the following year.

His breakthrough season came in the 2021-22 Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he finished as the leading wicket-taker with 18 scalps in seven matches. The right-arm fast bowler also took his first five-wicket haul in List A cricket and carried his form into the 2022–23 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he ended up as the highest wicket-taker for Vidarbha with 15 dismissals.

His single-handed effort helped his side win two games as he managed to defend 11 runs against Uttarakhand and 9 runs against Delhi in the quarterfinals. Looking at his excellent performances, Lucknow bought him for the 2023 Indian Premier League. The following season, he had a great season, picking up 11 wickets in 10 games including a brilliant five-wicket haul against Gujarat. However, he was released ahead of the mega auction and was bought by Punjab for the 2025 season.