New Delhi [India], May 21 (ANI): Prince Yadav's father, Ram Niwas Yadav, expressed immense joy after his son's maiden ODI call-up for the national side, calling it a moment even bigger than the Indian Premier League (IPL).

He shared that the entire community celebrated the achievement and that the family also visited temples in gratitude. He recalled Prince's long journey, noting that he played with tennis balls until the age of 17-18, often funding his own cricket expenses and even skipping tuition to buy equipment. Despite initial encouragement to focus on studies due to tough competition, Prince remained committed to cricket from a young age.

His father said Prince's lifelong dream was to represent India, and his emotional phone call announcing his selection marked a proud and unexpected milestone for the entire family.

'The whole community gathered. We also visited the temples. It was a complete surprise, even bigger than the IPL. His hard work paid off. From childhood, he wanted to play cricket, though I encouraged him to focus on studies because competition is tough. He played mostly with tennis balls until the age of 17-18, winning trophies from Surat, Mumbai, and often covering his own expenses. He would skip tuition, using the money for cricket gear instead. His interest shifted fully to cricket around the age of 10-11. His dream was always to wear the India jersey. Yesterday he called me, saying, Papa, I've been selected for India. It was a huge surprise and a moment of great joy,' Ram Niwas Yadav told ANI.

Yadav recieved his maiden ODI call-up as the BCCI named their squads that will take on Afghanistan in a one-off Test and three ODIs on Tuesday. Shubman Gill will continue to lead India in both series. KL Rahul has been appointed vice-captain for the one-off Test, while Shreyas Iyer returns to the ODI squad and will once again serve as Gill's deputy.

This will be India's return to action following their Men's T20 World Cup 2026 triumph at home and after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League.

ODI Squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma*, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya*, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey. (ANI)