India fast bowler Prince Yadav has revealed that the bat he wielded during his match-shaping cameo in the third T20I against the West Indies at Holkar Stadium, Indore on 12 October 2026 belonged to star opener Abhishek Sharma — who handed it over with a single instruction: don't embarrass it.

The Cameo That Counted

Coming in during the final stages of India's innings, Prince cracked 13 runs off just six balls, including three fours off pacer Shamar Joseph in the last over. His contribution, combined with Arshdeep Singh's 11 off eight, helped the Men in Blue post 223 in 20 overs — a total that ultimately proved decisive as India won the match by 14 runs.

The Bat Behind the Boundaries

'Obviously, brother, it is great to contribute to the team, whether it's with the ball, bat, or in the fielding. So, I am feeling good. So, Abhi bhaiya gave me his bat earlier and said, 'don't embarrass the bat'. So, I kept its honour,' Prince said in a post-match chat on bcci.tv alongside Abhishek.

Notably, this is not the first time Prince has borrowed the willow. He revealed he had done so previously during India's tour of Ireland as well, where he had hit a six. 'I played with Abhi bhaiya's bat in England too (Ireland),' Prince said, before Abhishek confirmed with a quip: 'He hit a six there.'

Prince then doubled down on the arrangement: 'Yeah, I hit a six in Ireland too and here as well. So, I will take bhaiya's bat the next time too.' Abhishek's one-word reply — 'Granted' — got the moment its share of laughs.

Abhishek Praises Prince's Street-Cricket Roots

Abhishek was effusive in his praise, offering a colourful explanation for Prince's hitting ability. 'I've seen his batting; if anyone hasn't seen it, he's famous in Delhi for 'single phatti'. Single phatti means one-on-one matches. In that, you have to both bat and bowl,' Abhishek explained.

'So he has that talent to hit sixes and fours. We saw a bit of it today, and we'll see more in future. As for the bat, well...you need power too,' Abhishek added.

Captain Iyer Acknowledges the Finish

India captain Shreyas Iyer also highlighted Prince's contribution during the post-match presentation. 'We steadied the ship in the middle order as well. That took us to a commendable total of 223. Even Prince coming and playing that cameo at the end, those were useful runs, I felt,' Iyer said.

Prince also contributed with the ball, keeping his two death-over spells to 20 runs at a stage when the West Indies' required run rate had climbed well past 15, further tightening India's grip on the game.

With the series ongoing and Prince visibly growing in confidence, expect the fast-bowling all-rounder — and Abhishek's bat — to feature prominently in India's finishing plans going forward.