IPL 2024: LSG Pacer Yash Thakur wanted to be a wicketkeeper like MS Dhoni, says coach Praveen Hinganikar

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Lucknow Super Giants pacer Yash Thakur was reluctant to pursuit his career as a bowler as his dream was to be a wicketkeeper like MS Dhoni, says coach Praveen Hinganikar.

Yash Thakur rewrote the history books with an excellent bowling performance for LSG in Sunday's (April 7) IPL match against Gujarat Titans. Thakur picked up five wickets as LSG beat the Titans in their IPL 2024 match by 33 runs.

The youngster was excellent with the ball, getting Shubman Gill in his first spell. He then went on to scalp four more in the latter overs. The youngster, who was born in Kolkata, plays for Vidarbha in domestic cricket.

Although pace bowling has been Yash Thakur's forte, the 25-year-old started his career as an aspiring wicketkeeper, and it was his coach Praveen Hinganikar who changed the course of his cricketing career, as the coach himself revealed recently.

"I told Yash to bowl in the nets. His physique looked ideal for bowling and after watching him bowl, I advised him to leave wicketkeeping and stress on his bowling. Yash wanted to be a wicketkeeper and my advice made him upset. But after watching him keep for 2-3 months, I thought bowling would be his ideal role," Hinganikar told OneIndia Bengali.

The youngster has sharpened his skills under the tutelage of Hinganikar, who is a former Vidarbha player himself. After India's World Cup win in 2011, a 11-year-old Yash started his cricketing journey at Hinganikar's academy.

Yash made his domestic debut for Vidarbha in 2017 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He has played 22 first-class matches and has 67 wickets to his name. In the T20s, the youngster currently has 74 wickets in 49 matches.

Thakur picked up 13 wickets for the Super Giants in nine matches and was one of their key players. The 25-year-old is one of LSG's Indian pacer group. The KL Rahul-led team already has Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan in their ranks, with the former being regarded as a top prospect for Indian cricket.