New Delhi, Nov. 1 -- Prince Yadav's journey from tennis-ball cricket on dusty grounds in Delhi's outskirts to a key role in India's T20 attack is built on pace, hard work and smart execution. The 24-year-old Lucknow Super Giants fast bowler from Najafgarh has turned the lessons of his early days into a weapon that batters find hard to handle in the final overs.

Prince Yadav believes tennis-ball cricket gave him his quick arm speed. He often practised with a wet tennis ball, which grew heavier on dewy Delhi evenings. Bowling with that extra weight trained him to fire in yorkers as fast as he could and helped build the strength and consistency he now shows in matches.

Lucknow Super Giants signed Prince Yadav at his base price before the 2...