At just 27 years of age, Indian cricketer Yash Nahar is in his prime years as an athlete. He made his T20 debut for Maharashtra in the 2018–19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in February 2019 and his List A debut for the state in the 2020-21 Vijay Hazare Trophy earlier this year. Having already made a name for himself in the domestic cricket circuit, he is now setting his sights higher and aiming for a national team spot and an opportunity to play in the Indian Premier League.
In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Yash Nahar speaks about his cricketing journey, idolizing Sachin Tendulkar, Chris Gayle and David Warner in his childhood, facing Shardul Thakur, overcoming challenges, memorable moments in his career and future goals.
Q 1) How old were you when you first started playing cricket and what got you interested in it?
I used to live in a society where everybody used to play with a plastic or tennis ball. Everyone in my family was a huge fan of cricket. I used to stay with my uncle who used to play cricket, that is when I picked up interest and started playing. I first started proper training in a summer camp when I was 14 and about 16 or 17 years old when I thought about making a career in this game.
Q 2) Who did you look up to as a cricketer when you were young?
Initially it was my uncle who I watched a lot in real life. He was a very good cricketer. I used to go with him on weekends as a ball boy to serve water and watching him play made me fall in love with cricket. As I grew older I loved watching the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Chris Gayle and David Warner.
Q 3) Who is the toughest bowler you have faced in your career so far?
Shardul Thakur has been the toughest bowler I have faced in my career so far. He had the speed and swing which made it difficult to read the ball but it was a learning experience playing against him.
Q 4) What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career and how did you overcome them?
I could not perform well at the start of my domestic career which resulted in losing the spot from the team. Coming back and doing well was the biggest challenge since I didn't have experience in domestic age group cricket, but my comeback was successful and it made a strong impact on my game.
Q5) The 103* Vs Goa or the 119 Vs Puducherry, which innings did you enjoy more?
The T20 century was the best performance because I had not performed at all in the last two games. Scoring a T20 hundred in domestic cricket was not only difficult but also an achievement for me as that day all the things seemed to be aligned in my favor.
Q 6) What are your future ambitions and what steps are you taking to achieve them?
My current focus right now is on the Vijay Hazare Trophy which is going to start from tomorrow and after that maybe getting picked by an IPL team, but I have to first perform now and tackle whatever obstacle I face during this journey. The main goal for me is to eventually play for the country and perform in the IPL if I get a chance.
