Yash aiming to play a merry toon
Newcastle-born batter Yash Vagadia made his first-team debut in 2024, playing in a pair of Metro Bank One-Day Cup matches against Warwickshire and Glamorgan in August.
Vagadia, 20, opened the batting in victory over the Bears at Rugby School and then hit a best of 21 a few days later from number four in defeat against Glamorgan at Cardiff.
He was Yorkshire’s leading run-scorer in the Second XI T20 competition, his haul of 213 runs helping the county reach the final. In all cricket, including for club side Hartlepool, he scored 1,152 runs from 41 matches throughout 2024. He also made a couple of appearances for national county Northumberland.
Vagadia signed his maiden professional contract with Yorkshire ahead of 2023.
He has been marrying his cricket with University commitments in recent years. He has been studying a joint honours in biology and chemistry at Durham University.
In late 2023, he gained off-field recognition when he was honoured by the Professional Cricketers’ Association in their Futures Awards, winning the top prize in their Academic Progression category.
Vagadia enjoyed a super 2022, captaining the county’s Academy/Under 18s team and helping the second team win the Championship title.
The right-hander first represented Yorkshire at Under 14s level and has progressed through the age-groups and Academy. He helped the Under 18s reach their 50-over national final and finish top of the Northern Conference of their three-day competition in 2022, scoring two hundreds in a Roses win at Widnes in August.
He also scored four fifties in the second-team Championship triumph and is determined to develop his useful off-spin bowling.
In 2023, he also sub-fielded for England during Headingley’s Ashes Test victory over Australia.
In 2025, he will be hoping to build on his first taste of first-team cricket, with debuts in T20 and four-day cricket surely the aim.
UPDATED: Feb 2025.