New Delhi, May 21 -- 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 ...