Follow UsMayank Yadav has been with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) since the start of 2022 but the 21-year-old only got his maiden opportunity in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on March 31 (Saturday) against Punjab Kings (PBKS). Prior to the start of the chase, not many expected an uncapped 21-year-old quick to be the talk of the town post the game but that is precisely what ended up happening as Mayank, in an electrifying spell, single-handedly floored Punjab to seal two points for LSG.
Registering 3/27 on debut is impressive enough but Mayank did that while averaging 148 kph through his four-over spell. In his very second over, he clocked the fastest ball of IPL 2024 after bowling a 155.8 kph rocket to Shikhar Dhawan. His raw pace was simply too much to handle for Punjab, who got bamboozled and fell like a pack of cards to succumb to a 21-run defeat.
Post the clash, young Mayank revealed that he’s grown up idolizing only one fast bowler, Dale Steyn.
“I look up to only one fast bowler, Dale Steyn. He is my idol. I idolize him a lot,” Mayank said at the press conference post the game.
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The 21-year-old revealed that, two years ago, it was LSG’s former assistant coach Vijay Dahiya who spotted him and brought him into the IPL.
“Just before the mega auction in 2022, there was a match between Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. I was spotted by our [then] assistant coach Vijay Dahiya. He was impressed with my bowling and asked for my footage. I got picked by LSG after that in the mega auction,” said the youngster, who was purchased for his base price of 20 lakh in the mega auction two years ago.
It’s extremely common for athletes to be held back by nerves on debut, but Mayank showed none of that. The 21-year-old, in fact, ended up clocking 150 kph on his very third ball.
He revealed after the game that he was calmed and comforted by a voice inside his head which kept reminding that he belonged at this level.
"I have been visualizing only one thing for the last 2 years, & that's how it would be when I'll deliver my first ball in the IPL. How it will feel to play in front of a big audience. Everyone told me there would be a bit of nervousness, but I didn't feel it,” the young tearaway said.
"When the Captain asked me to bowl the first over, I had a voice inside telling me that I belong to this place, and that gave me the confidence."
The right-armer’s tactics against the Punjab batters was simple: to bowl fast and to bowl hard lengths. Incidentally, it’s what he had been instructed to do by head coach Justin Langer and bowling coach Morne Morkel.
“Both Justin Langer and Morne Morkel told me just one thing. To use my pace and hit hard lengths as frequently as possible. They told me 'the straighter the lines, the better.’ And that is what I focused on doing.”
Mayank has not come out of nowhere. The 21-year-old has been a regular in white-ball cricket for Delhi over the past 18 months and has had an outstanding start to his domestic career.
He’s picked 34 wickets in the 17 List A games he’s played and was the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the Deodhar Trophy last year.