Umran Malik from Indian-administered Kashmir created a storm three years ago. In IPL 2024, it’s Mayank Yadav who is turning heads almost as quickly as he’s turning up the dial on speed guns. Mayank Yadav, the 21-year-old lanky bowler from Delhi made his IPL debut for Lucknow Super Giants against Punjab Kings in March and set pulses racing with a terrific spell of fast bowling. As Usual IPL is successful in finding the next fast force in Indian cricket in the form of Mayank Yadav this year
Mayank Yadav bowled a delivery at 155.8 km/h (96 mph) and won the man-of-the-match award on debut. In the next game Mayank Yadav went one better with a 156.7 km/h (96 mph) scorcher – the season’s quickest delivery so far – and a second successive man-of-the-match award against Royal Challengers Bangalore, an IPL first for a debutant. He picked up six wickets for 41 runs across the two matches.
Mayank Yadav career as a sensational bowler for LSG IN 2024 and a bright prospect for Indian future.
India usually is not known for fast bowlers, but there have been a few who have grabbed the eyeball of the entire cricket fraternity. One among them is young Delhi pacer Mayank Yadav. The fast bowler showed his potential to the World in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 while playing for the Lucknow Super Giants.
Mayank Yadav, touted as the fastest bowler in India, oozed his class with the ball in a few games that he played in the league. The fast bowler could play just three games and then was ruled out of the tournament. However, the three games were enough for him to make the impact he would’ve wanted.
Mayank Yadav made everyone stand and applaud for his heroics. The fast bowler in the game against Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru wreaked havoc and won two Player of the Match awards in the first two games that he played.
Mayank Yadav consistently clocked around 155 kmph and troubled the batters big time. The fast bowler made batters dance to his tune and snatched the victory for his team from the jaws of defeat. However, after that, he got injured, and since then, he has been at the NCA, getting fit.
Mayank Yadav also hasn’t been named in the Duleep Trophy 2024. Recently, Jay Shah was asked about the pacer’s entry into the Indian team. However, the BCCI secretary said that there’s no guarantee about his place as the fast bowler is still recovering from the injury.
The 22-year-old, playing for LSG consistently breached the 150 kmph mark in the 4 matches that he bowled in, leaving seasoned batsmen bewildered. In his debut match against PBKS, Mayank clocked a speed of 155.8 kmph, the fastest ball of IPL 2024 at that point. He took three wickets, including those of Jonny Bairstow and Prabhsimran Singh, and was instrumental in LSG’s victory. This performance was not a one-off, as he continued to impress against RCB, where he clocked a speed of 156.7 kmph, the fastest delivery in IPL 2024.
After a sensational debut in the Indian Premier League’s 2024 season, things have been eerily quiet for Mayank Yadav. The young pace sensation from Delhi who took the world by storm with his exceptional speed and accuracy has not played a single match since the conclusion of the tournament. Former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey has advised that Yadav should not be kept in a cotton wool by the Board of Control for Cricket in India and rather should be bowling as many overs as possible in the nets, at this young age.
Paras Mhambrey highlights Cameron Green’s IPL 2024 dismissal to hail Mayank Yadav
Former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey revealed how Mayank Yadav’s dismissal of Australian all-rounder Cameron Green in IPL 2024 convinced him that the young pacer is something special. Mayank burst onto the scene in the 2024 IPL season for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) with his ability to clock speeds of over 150 kph.
The 22-year-old produced a sensational spell of 3/27 in four overs on IPL debut against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to help LSG comeback and win by 21 runs. However, the following game against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) caught Mhambrey’s eye.
Defending 181, Mayank Agarwal bagged the crucial wickets of Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, and Cameron Green in another fiery spell of 3/14 in four overs to help LSG win by 28 runs. After removing Maxwell in his first over, Mayank cleaned Cameron Green up with a delivery clocked at 156 kph.
In a conversation with the Indian Express, Paras Mhambrey recalled that moment as a revelation and felt even a high-class batter like Cameron Green looked intimidated.
“One dismissal says it all. That wicket was enough for me to say whoa! This kid is special. Green is a quality player and has played all his life on bouncy Australian surfaces but the way he got out, I felt he was scared. He was caught on the crease and done in with pace. That dismissal was one thing but the couple of balls Mayank bowled before that tells you about his skillset,” said Mhambrey.
Despite the back-to-back sensational outings to begin his IPL career, Mayank Yadav played only two more games before being sidelined by an abdominal strain injury. The Delhi-born youngster displayed a rare combination of speed and accuracy in the limited time, picking up seven wickets in four matches at an average of 12.14 and an economy of under 7.
“I don’t agree that if he is not ready, just don’t play him” – Paras Mhambrey
Paras Mhambrey dismissed the notion of managing Mayank Yadav and not regularly playing him in first-class cricket.
The 22-year-old has not played competitive cricket since those four IPL games earlier this year. Mayank has also not been picked in any of the four Duleep Trophy squads and has pulled out of the maiden Delhi Premier League to complete his recovery from injury.
“I don’t agree that if he is not ready, just don’t play him. This is the age where he has to bowl. A bowler should bowl. The more you bowl, the more you will have control, you will know your threshold as to how much your body can take. You can’t wrap him up in cotton wool saying he will get injured. We can’t over bowl and burn him out but we have to be smart about how much he should bowl. As a fast bowler, he needs to play first-class cricket,” said Mhambrey.
He continued:
“When you play one season, you understand your bowling. You bowl in different conditions. Physically, you will be tested in different phases of the game. Sometimes, you will have to be on the ground for six sessions. And to be able to bowl with the same intensity in the last session will give you confidence when you play at the international level. I strongly feel Mayank needs to grind it out in the domestic season.”
Despite playing 17 first-class and 14 T20 games, Mayank Yadav has played only the lone first-class encounter for Delhi.