Meet Yash Raj Punja - Rajasthan Royals' highly-rated uncapped Karnataka leg-spinner who left UAE dream for IPL

Yash Raj Punja made an impression in the league of big boys after the 19-year-old Rajasthan Royals leg-spinner dismissed the likes Cooper Connolly and Prabhsimran Singh during their Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Punjab Kings on Tuesday in New Mullanpur.

Standing at 6'5'' tall, Yash was playing just his second professional match after making his debut in IPL against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) where he took the wicket of Ramandeep Singh in a losing encounter. Against Punjab Kings, Yash was brought into the attack by captain Riyan Parag at a time when Connolly and Prabhsimran were going bonkers.

Although the teen from Karnataka was taken for 15 runs in his first over, Yash repaid the faith showed by Parag when he got better of the Australian left-hander with a googly, thus breaking a stand of 59 runs. That's not all. The youngster then went on get better of Prabhsimran smartly. Although he conceded 41 runs, but Yash provided the most important breakthroughs.

All you need to know about Yash Raj Punja

Had it not bee former Karnataka cricketer K Jeshwant, IPL wouldn't have unearthed Yash. The story dates back to 2023 when Jeshwant first saw Yash in Abu Dhabi during a two-week coaching camp. Been born to parents working in the middle-east, Yash was playing recreational cricket three years back and probably would have followed his brother Yodhin Punja, who went on to captain U-19 UAE and played a single ODI for the senior men's team.

But it was Jeshwant, who persuaded Yash's parents (not convinced initially) to let their kid try his luck in India. Former England captain Alastair Cook’s “X-factor” comment also played a part in Yash's family finally giving approval to Jeshwant. As luck would have it, Yash joined the Six Academy under Jeshwant in Bengaluru at a time when Rajasthan Royals came for training camps at the same academy.

Upon Jeshwanth’s advice, Yash impressed the Rajasthan Royals scouts in those training camps, thus eventually breaking into the franchise as a net bowler for two years. In the IPL 2026 auction last year, the 2008 champions bought Yash at his base price of ₹30 lakhs.

However, breaking into the Karnataka set-up was a challenge for Yash because of his domicile. But with the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) reducing the three-year playing period in local leagues down to two in 2025, Yash was picked for Karnataka U-23 camp and also landed a contract with Hubli Tigers in 2025 in the Maharaja KSCA T20 Trophy.

Yash finished as the second-highest wicket-taker on his debut season picking 23 wickets.

Why Yash Raj Punja is rated so highly?

Yash is rated highly by former West Indies cricketer-turned-commentator Ian Bishop, because of his extreme height and high-control flattish trajectory. In fact, the googly is one of Yash's most potent weapons, along with an ability to extract steep and unexpected bounce.

"Met this 18-year-old Rajasthan Royals leg-spinning net bowler yesterday as we travelled to Chennai. I am 6ft 61/2 inches tall. And he has me covered so he is at least 6ft 6 inches tall. His name is Yash and he is from Bengaluru," Bishop had posted on X (formerly Twitter) in 2024.

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