Rahul Yadav was not prepared to start for Janakpur Bolts in their opening match against Karnali Yaks on Tuesday.

“A player that comes from the talent hunt doesn’t often get an opportunity in the very first game,” Yadav said during the post-match press conference after the win against Kathmandu Gorkhas on Thursday. “It is a big thing when you come from a talent hunt and the team, especially the captain, believes in you from the very first game.”

Yadav was one of the 446 aspiring talents from Madhesh to participate in Janakpur’s talent hunt for the third season. And he has proven his worth in the first two games for the Bolts—that too with a ‘player of the match’ performance against Kathmandu.

After a dreamy debut against Karnali with two wickets and 15 runs, there were concerns whether Yadav could remain consistent or not. Janakpur’s skipper, Harmeet Singh, had called Yadav the “next big thing” of Nepali cricket after that performance.

“Him getting more opportunities. He can really be the next big thing of Nepali cricket,” Singh told the media after the loss against Karnali.

And when Singh and the Bolts believed in Yadav for the second time, he did not let them down.

Yadav picked a wicket each in the first ball of the first two overs he was given. He sent the two Kathmandu openers back to the pavilion within the powerplay.

Yadav’s first victim was Sam Heazlett (1 off 3), followed by Smit Patel (13 off 13). As Patel walked back to the pavilion, chants of “Rahul, Rahul, Rahul…” began to reverberate around the stadium.

He then took consecutive wickets in the last two balls of the 17th over—of Kathmandu skipper Karan KC (8 off 18) and Md Adil Alam (0 off 1)—after which the TU-side grandstands erupted with chants of “Rahul, Rahul, Rahul…,” once again.

With Kathmandu at 100/9 at the end of the 18th over, skipper Singh, after a short discussion with wicketkeeper Kusal Perera, decided to allow Yadav, who had an over remaining, to try to get a fifer. He missed out on that milestone, but he was the reason that the Gorkhas got bundled out for a paltry 115 runs in 19.3 overs.

“I am happy that I could pick wickets in the first two games,” said Yadav.

After four wickets from the ball, Yadav also grabbed a beautiful catch to dismiss Jahandad Khan, only the second Pakistani to feature in the NPL amidst NOC issue. The catch saw Janakpur fans, this time from all around the stadium, chant his name, again. The Bolts Army had found their favourite for the season.

Yadav is only 16 but he has been playing cricket for a long time.

Diwash Sarraf, a domestic sports commentator, posted a collage of Yadav and his mother after his stellar performance against Kathmandu. In the photo, Yadav’s mother can be seen showcasing dozens of his trophies and medals in an open ground.  

Yadav was also the winner of WorldLink Beat the Speed-Season 3’s ‘Face The Batsman’, where he also bowled against the then national team skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel in the nets of Upper Mulpani.

Kathmandu Gorkhas’ officials were also awestruck when they saw Yadav in Mulpani.

“We played a practice match with Janakpur in Lower Mulpani,” Gorkhas’ mentor and cricket director Sharad Vesawkar recalled in the post-match press conference. “His [Yadav’s] speed and different slingy action is not easy to pick by batters, especially when he throws slow balls.”

Vesawkar, a Nepali cricket legend himself, also shared that Yadav was the reason behind their loss. “Credit is due to Yadav for picking early wickets and putting us under pressure,” he added. 

Now it seems Yadav could be a regular in the upcoming matches. 

“I was nervous when I was called in the playing XI in the first match but when I took a wicket in the first ball, I started getting confident,” said Yadav, with the player of the match award in his palms. “I will give my 110 percent in the next match.”

Yadav’s biggest praise of the day came from the English all-rounder Moeen Ali.

“He [Yadav] is really really good,” said Ali, who stayed not out at 58 off 51 in the eight-wicket win over Kathmandu. “Everytime he seems to come up to bowl, he gets a wicket in the first ball… I didn’t know until someone told me—after the last game—that he is gonna be the next Malinga of Nepal. If he stays fit and humble, it will be very good for Nepal.”

Ali, meanwhile, stressed that he was with the Janakpur squad only for the first four matches. “Now, I am thinking I wish I stayed a bit longer,” Ali said with a grin.