Mayank Yadav is a fan of superbikes, rockets, and planes; speed is something that adds to his adrenaline. It was on show when he made his debut for Lucknow in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against Punjab on Saturday, March 30. Not concerned by butterflies in his stomach, Mayank came out all guns blazing and has become the talk of the town because of his pace.
He consistently bowled around the 150 kmph mark and once clocked 155.8 kmph, which left Shikhar Dhawan, the PBKS skipper, ruffled to some extent. He also bowled the fastest ball of IPL 2024.
“I never bowled at 156 before this, I clicked 155, but this is my fastest ball,” Mayank told the reporters after the match.
“Speed thrills and excites me, whether it is a rocket, plane, or superbikes.”
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‘Goal is to be consistent’
The speedster not only impressed with his pace, but showed control over his line and length to win the Player of the Match award. Lucknow beat Punjab by 21 runs after Mayank got the wickets of Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma to finish with figures of 4-0-27-3.
“My goal is to be consistent for the team and give away as few runs as possible so that it is helpful. Pace is a plus point for me; I try to use it diligently,” he said.
Mayank, in the meantime, named former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn as his idol.
“I look up to only one fast bowler, Dale Steyn, he is my idol,” Mayank added.
After Mayank hogged the headlines with his pace, Steyn dropped a post of appreciation for the seamer.
‘It was downfall for me’
En route to stardom, Mayank had to battle multiple injury concerns that made life challenging for him. The pacer could have kickstarted his career last season itself, but injuries halted his progress and ruled him out of the IPL.
“I had a side strain; it was a rib fracture after the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Injuries are a part of a fast bowler’s life and they are your friends. I have had 2 to 3 major injuries in the last one and a half years, and it was downfall for me. Last season, I missed the IPL due to injuries. The focus is mostly on recovery and training,” Mayank said.
