EXCLUSIVE: Mayank Yadav says he wants to be the greatest bowler in the world, not the fastest.
Delhi-born fast bowler Mayank Yadav made his debut for the Lucknow Super Giants against the Punjab Kings in the IPL 2024. He won the Man of the Match title after impressing the audience with a delivery speed of over 155 kmph. After joining the team a few years ago, Yadav was eager to make his debut.
Before the youthful Delhi pacer unleashed a torrent of thundering deliveries, hitting over 155 kmph, in the IPL 2024 match against Punjab Kings, Mayank Yadav was a relatively unknown name.
Mayank, who was making his debut for the Lucknow Super Giants, captured attention with his explosive pace, sending veteran hitters scurrying and winning Man of the Match. For the 21-year-old sprinter, it was a memorable debut.
The day before the match against Punjab Kings, Mayank, who had been a member of LSG for a few years, heard a knock on his door while he was in his room.
When he opened it, his captain KL Rahul was there, prepared to break the news he had been waiting for so long: “Mayank, get ready! Tomorrow is your big premiere.”
Mayank was excited when the day finally came since she had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.
With a delivery that measured 143 kmph, the speed demon—who also bowled the fastest delivery of the 2024 IPL at 155.8 kmph—struck out Bairstow for 42.
Mayank’s raw speed unsettled Jitesh Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh in addition to taking Bairstow’s wicket, helping LSG to a 21-run victory at the crowded Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
In your first IPL encounter, you won Man of the encounter after bowling thunderbolts.
I’m rather pleased with how I performed. I got an announcement that I would be playing from my captain, KL bhai. I was ecstatic. I simply remained composed, made the decision to give it my all, and added all I had already learnt. For the previous three years, I was connected to LSG. Along with the crew, I used to prepare. I was not given the opportunity in the first year. I suffered an injury in my second year. I’ve had the chance to work with the team for the past three years.
What kind of assistance did captain KL Rahul provide?
KL bhaiya just gave me one piece of advice, which is that you would always benefit more from keeping things simple. I take his advise to heart, and it does the trick. He advised me to keep supporting and honing my pace, which is both my strength and my main weapon. He advised, “Don’t think much if you are getting hammered or leaking runs; just keep backing your pace, which is your strength.” Pace is my strength. When he arrived in my room, he told me not to worry about the pressure because it was my first time bowling and to just go out and bowl the way I had been bowling.
