Punjab Kings are 88/0 after nine overs chasing 200 runs. The pressure is on Lucknow Super Giants to strike. Enters Mayank Yadav. He clocks 150 kph once in the over and concedes 10 runs with Jonny Bairstow and Shikhar Dhawan both hitting a four each. But the 21-year-old doesn't deter and runs in with a renewed vigour. He clocks 156 kph off the first ball to Dhawan. Both openers are already ruffled with his pace and then the youngster reaps an absolute reward of hitting the deck with Bairstow miscuing a pull facing a pacy short ball.
Mayank gets his maiden IPL wicket and that starts a special journey for the pacer. Fast forward to end of the match, the young bowler has got a total of three wickets and with it, the player of the match award as well for helping LSG win by 21 runs. A lot of players have faded away in the past in IPL and in international cricket after making a sparkling debut.
But Mayank didn't want to be part of that list and the man literally silenced the Chinnaswamy crowd breathing fire with his pace against the star-studded Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He comes into the attack in the 6th over this time and rattles RCB with Glenn Maxwell's wicket in his very first over. The caravan continues as he gets better of Cameron Green and Rajat Patidar to end with figures of 3/14 and another player of the match award this time. He clocked 156.7 kph during the game and made a statement yet again.
A lot was written and said on Mayank Yadav after his heroics against Punjab Kings but the RCB clash proved that he is unfazed with all the fame and the limelight that came after his brilliant debut. The man is lean enough to run in and dish out deliveries in excess of 150-155 kph constantly and amazingly, despite knowing what's coming, batters are unable to do anything. He is already the find of IPL but will be wary of the fact that teams will come out with a plan to face him.
This is where Mayank will be tested in the upcoming matches now. Teams are aware of what's coming to them and they will plan accordingly but if Mayank manages to fox them even then, certainly the India cap will not be far away from him. He is only 21 and will need to be groomed and handled properly now that the country has unearthed a gem of a fast bowler. Umran Malik is one of the fast bowlers who already has a fast bowling contract from BCCI for 2023-24 and if all goes well, Mayank could also be in that list.
For now though Mayank and LSG would want to concentrate and take one match at a time before thinking too ahead. This is just the start of the season and whether Mayank Yadav will be able to overcome the challenges wll decide if he is the breakthrough star for India with the ball in the long run.
