Umesh Yadav

Umesh Kumar Tilak Yadav is an Indian cricketer who currently plays for Vidarbha cricket team, Indian national team, Essex and Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League. Yadav was a member of the team that won the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.

A right – arm fast bowler, Yadav has played for Vidarbha at domestic level since 2008 and is the first player from the team to have played Test cricket. He was the highest wicket – taker for India and third highest overall in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. He holds the record of the highest strike rate in an innings in Test cricket after scoring 31 runs in 10 balls at a strike rate of 310 against South Africa in October 2019.

Early life

Before becoming a professional cricketer, Umesh unsuccessfully applied to join the army and the police force.

Yadav tried to make a place in his college cricket team but was refused because he did not play for any club.

Then, in the year 2007, having previously only ever played tennis ball cricket, Yadav joined Vidarbha Gymkhana and began bowling with a leather ball for the first time in Guzder League ‘A’ Division cricket tournament organised by Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA). Pritam Gandhe, Vidharbha’s Ranji trophy team captain, supported Yadav and ensured he represented Air India in a Twenty20 tournament.

In January 2019, in the first semi – final of 2018 – 19 Ranji Trophy against Kerala, he gave his career – best performance of 7/48 in the first innings and then returned with figures of 5/31 in the second innings, and ended the match with career – best figures of 12/79 which sailed Vidarbha to the Ranji Trophy final.

On 16 April 2013, Umesh got engaged to Delhi – based fashion designer Tanya Wadhwa, and they were married on 29 May 2013. The couple have two daughters born in January 2021 and March 2023 respectively.

Domestic Career:

• First – class debut: for Vidarbha against Madhya Pradesh in the 2008 – 09 Ranji Trophy
• From playing for Vidarbha, Yadav was selected to represent the Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy in his first season.

Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 Franchise Career:

• Umesh was signed by Delhi Daredevils in 2010 and played for the franchise for four seasons. He was the fourth highest wicket – taker in the 2012 IPL with 19 wickets from 17 matches at an average of 23.84.
• Ahead of the 2014 season, Umesh was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders.
• He played for the side for four seasons before being released ahead of the 2018 IPL auction during which he was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore.
• Umesh was released by RCB ahead of the 2021 IPL auction and was bought by Delhi.
• In February 2022, he was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the auction for the 2022 Indian Premier League tournament. In 2022, he gave the best performance of his IPL career by taking 4 wickets against Punjab Kings.
• In 2024, he will play for Gujarat Titans after being released by KKR.

International Career:

• One Day International (ODI) debut: for India against Zimbabwe in May 2010
• Test debut: the following year in November 2011 for India against the West Indies
• He opened the bowling alongside Ishant Sharma in the first innings. In the second innings, the spinners opened the bowling and Yadav took two wickets for 36 runs (2/36) to help India to a five-wicket victory.
• India also won the second Test, and Yadav finished with nine wickets in the series, the most amongst India’s fast bowlers and less than half the total of either of the team’s spinners. In the five – match ODI series that followed, he managed six wickets at an average of 24.33 from three appearances.

Major Achievements:

• Yadav was the first cricketer to play for Vidarbha who went on to play Test cricket.
• He was the fourth highest wicket – taker in the 2012 IPL with 19 wickets from 17 matches at an average of 23.84.
• He was the highest wicket – taker for India and third highest overall in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.
• He holds the record of the highest strike rate in an innings in Test cricket after scoring 31 runs in 10 balls at a strike rate of 310 against South Africa in October 2019.
• In January 2019, in the first semi – final of 2018 – 19 Ranji Trophy against Kerala, he gave his career – best performance of 7/48 in the first innings and then returned with figures of 5/31 in the second innings, and ended the match with career – best figures of 12/79 which sailed Vidarbha to the Ranji Trophy final.
• In 2022, he gave the best performance of his IPL career by taking 4 wickets against Punjab Kings.
• In the second Test, Yadav finished with nine wickets in the series, the most amongst India’s fast bowlers.