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PunjabBowler
Umesh Yadav
- Age
- 39y 18d
- Bats
- Right-hand
- Bowls
- Right-arm fast
- From
- Nagpur
- Age
- 39y 18d
- Bats
- Right-hand
- Bowls
- Right-arm fast
- From
- Nagpur
Umesh Yadav grew up in Nagpur, the son of a coal-miner, with a family depending on him. He first sought a living in the police and the army, and only after those efforts failed did he turn to cricket as a teenager. Strongly built and notably fit for an Indian quick, he joined Vidarbha, where captain Pritam Gandhe guided his development. His Ranji Trophy debut came in 2008 against Madhya Pradesh, and his first season brought 20 wickets at 14.60. Pace in the mid-140s and swing that could go against the seam drew the national selectors' attention.
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He made his IPL debut with Delhi Daredevils in 2010 and earned an ODI cap against Zimbabwe that year without making much impact. His Test debut came at home against the West Indies, making him the first Test cricketer from Vidarbha, and he took nine wickets across his first two Tests. On the 2011 tour of Australia he collected 14 wickets in four Tests, more than any other Indian bowler, but injuries then kept him out of the national side for close to a year.
After returning at the 2013 Champions Trophy, he stayed on the fringes, seen as a bowler capable of taking wickets in rhythm but lacking control. He claimed 11 wickets in the last three Tests of the 2014/15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and at the 2015 World Cup his 18 wickets made him India's leading wicket-taker and third overall. From the home series against South Africa in late 2015 through to early 2017, a fitter Yadav added late swing, better use of the crease and a scrambled-seam delivery. Despite that, he was left out of the 2018 tour of South Africa, which India lost 1-2, and after being picked for England in mid-2018 he was dropped following the first Test.
In the IPL, he took 19 wickets at 23 for Delhi in 2012, finishing fourth on the wicket list. A move to Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 brought an immediate title, with 11 wickets from him, and he went on to take 48 wickets for the franchise. Royal Challengers Bangalore bought him for INR 4.2 crore in 2018, when he took 20 wickets and was retained. Back with KKR in 2022, he took 16 wickets in 12 matches.
