From injury to IPL glory: LSG pacer Mayank’s speed run

LSG’s Mayank Yadav (right) celebrates the dismissal of Punjab’s Jitesh Sharma with teammate Ravi Bishnoi. Pic/PTI

A 21-year-old hurling a cricket ball consistently over 150 kmph is a sight to behold. It excites fans and connoisseurs alike. The bowler in focus is Lucknow Super Giants's Mayank Yadav, who made an impressive debut to help the home team register a convincing 21-run win over Punjab Kings and bagged the Player of the Match award in his first IPL outing. Besides the speed that caught the eye, the way he troubled batters of the caliber of Jonny Bairstow and Shikhar Dhawan with bounce on supposedly batting-friendly Ekana Stadium pitch was special. He bowled 24 balls in the game at an impressive average speed of 148 kmph - the quickest delivery clocking 155.8 kmph.

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The Delhi-born paceman's brief journey from club cricket to IPL glory has been dramatic. In the two years that he has played the game at a competitive level, he has had more downs than ups, including an injury last season that delayed his IPL debut. He has worked hard on his fitness thereafter with the Sonnet Club in Delhi and made a comeback. After doing well in club cricket, Mayank was summoned as a net bowler by the Delhi Ranji Trophy team. He was picked by LSG in 2021, but made his debut only on Saturday. He immediately showed his prowess, claiming three wickets to turn the game on its head. Chasing 200 for victory, Punjab were cruising at 101 without loss in 11 overs, when Mayank set the stage alight for a come-from-behind win for LSG.

Mayank has played just one Ranji match (in 2022) and a few white-ball domestic games for Delhi in the last two seasons but has suffered injuries thrice, keeping him out for most of last season, including the IPL. "In two years, I have suffered three major injuries. I missed the IPL last year due to injury and missed the Ranji Trophy this year. I need to work on my fitness so that I can play to my potential," Mayank said after his match-winning performance.

Punjab Kings Head of Cricket Development, Sanjay Bangar, was all praise for Mayank. "Not everybody possesses the pace he [Mayank] has. [He was] very impressive, his action is pretty good and he hits those lengths well. He has a wonderful run-up as well. A lovely talent, that's what IPL showcases. Great to see a young bowler unearth himself tonight," Bangar said.