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In an otherwise difficult season, Prince Yadav has indeed been a shining light for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). That he has come from a humble background and was once a net bowler is well known. He used to train with tennis balls and has since graduated into becoming a first-rate opening bowler for the franchise. Prince added one more layer to his story with the delivery that he bowled to Virat Kohli on Thursday night.
Kohli has been in fine form in the competition so far and, on a good batting deck, is always a threat in the powerplay. The ball was exactly the kind of perfect delivery every bowler dreams of producing. If Prince bowls similar deliveries to any batter in the IPL, the result will likely be the same, for it was that good. It pitched on off stump and, just as Virat came forward to play a defensive shot, it jagged in ever so slightly. The replay showed the late movement, and it was virtually unplayable in the way it moved in at the very last second.
As the ball hit the stumps, Virat had a look of disbelief on his face. He looked at his bat and then at the pitch, trying to figure out exactly what had happened. It wasn’t as if he was attempting a wild heave. To beat his defence so comprehensively is a real challenge, and that is precisely what Prince Yadav managed to do.
The celebration that followed said it all. The wicket meant the world to Prince, and rightly so. From bowling with tennis balls to bowling at Kohli and knocking over his stumps for a duck is quite a story. It took him a few seconds to come to terms with it, and the match had been perfectly set up for LSG. They desperately needed the win, and Prince gave them hope.
Coming back to the delivery, it revealed a great deal about the bowler’s temperament. He was bowling to a batter, not to Virat Kohli. His focus was entirely on the ball and on executing what he needed to do. That is exactly how it should be. No one really needs to worry about who is batting at the other end, and Prince did precisely that. From the release to the eventual outcome, everything about the delivery was perfect.
Maybe this is why the IPL is the brand that it is. Prince is now an aspirational story. And imagine what this one wicket could do for his confidence. If he can do it to Kohli, he can do it to anyone. To keep bowling full tilt when the team is not doing well requires serious character, and Prince has indeed been the find of the season for LSG. His progress has been spectacular and, going forward, he could well think of knocking on the doors of India A in the not-too-distant future.
For me, this has been the ball of the season so far. An uncapped Indian fast bowler delivering it makes it all the more special and gives the IPL its true meaning.
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The post Anatomy of a Special Delivery – Prince Yadav to Virat Kohli appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.
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