Having clocked 156.7 kmph on the speed gun - IPL 2024's fastest delivery recorded thus far, Lucknow Super Giants' tearaway pacer Mayank Yadav has set the standards pretty high for himself.
Mayank, 21, set the IPL ablaze in the 11th game of the season between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow when he released a ball that clocked 155.8 kmph on the speed gun.
The ball was bowled to the Punjab captain Shikhar Dhawan and he failed to get bat on it as it whizzed past him in a flash.
Not only did Mayank impress with his raw pace, but the right-arm speedster also bagged a three-for to break the back of Punjab's batting order and finished with match figures of 3/27 in four overs to win the Player of the Match (POTM) award.
Mayank's victims included the cream of Punjab's batting order as he got rid of Prabhsimran Singh, Jonny Bairstow and their wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma.
High on a super debut, Mayank took on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the next game and terrorised their batters with the venom in his deliveries. Brimming with confidence, Mayank bettered his own record and produced a 156.7 kmph delivery - the fastest of the 17th edition of the IPL.
The tearaway pacer chipped in with yet another match-winning effort and bagged a three-wicket haul to demolish the RCB batting order that was trying to chase down 182. Mayank's dismissal included the big wickets of Rajat Patidar and two of RCB's biggest overseas signings in the form of Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green.
He finished with figures of 3/14 and won his second Player of the Match award in a row.
However, an injury setback in the next game against Gujarat Titans put him on the sidelines and Mayank is battling to recover from the same. The pacer is down with a side strain and has been advised to nurse his injury before LSG prepare to unleash him again.
To the delight of LSG and Indian cricket fans, Mayank has started bowling in the nets and a comeback on the field doesn't seem to be too far from him.
