Uttar Pradesh left-arm spinner Kartik Yadav is just 19, yet he is building a reputation as one of domestic cricket’s most dependable young bowlers with strong performances.
Kartik’s 5/37 helped former champions Uttar Pradesh beat Goa by 68 runs on a spin-friendly Green Park Stadium pitch in Kanpur on Tuesday, his second five-for in Ranji Trophy after taking 5/103 on Ranji debut against Tamil Nadu last season.
With 13 wickets from the first two Ranji games, the youngster is the most successful UP bowler in the competition.
His development though has not been built on red-ball cricket alone. The UPT20 League too has played a role in shaping him into a composed bowler.
Representing Kashi Rudras, he has risen from being a promising squad spinner to a genuine wicket-taking option in the middle overs. His team won the inaugural title in 2023 and again in 2025. Last year, Kartik, across 12 matches, took 14 wickets (avg 15.29, econ 6.29, SR 14.57). His ability to bowl flatter and faster made him difficult to target, especially when batters tried to force the pace in the middle overs.
In the 2026 season, Kartik turned consistency into impact. He took 11 wickets and was among Kashi Rudras’ standout performers. His best spell of 3/12 came in the final league match against Meerut Mavericks, which earned him the player of the match award.
The spell against Goa thus wasn’t surprising. Kartik said there was no special plan behind his performance, it was just about following the bowling process.
He said the fundamentals of his bowling remain unchanged across formats. “Everything else is the same,” Kartik said. “In white-ball, you have to do a little more variation. In red-ball, we have to give more preference to the stock ball.”
Born in Prayagraj, he trained at the Madan Mohan Malviya Stadium before moving through a Fatehpur hostel and joining Ghaziabad’s DNM Cricket Academy, “Five wickets is a dream for everyone. I like it a lot and will try to do the same (in future),” he said. “I will continue to contribute for UP, and hopefully play for India in the future.”
UP have won their first two Ranji Trophy games in Elite A group. Although Goa briefly fought back, there was no doubts of a victory for UP.
“Our team and the staff were confident we would win this match, 100%,” he said. “From the start, our energy was up. The team meeting, team bonding and support of the staff did not let us think that we would lose.”