LSG debutant Mayank Yadav had an exceptional first outing in the IPL 2024 as he scalped three wickets against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Lucknow on March 30. It was an amazing spell of pure fast bowling, as it made Punjab batters uncomfortable at the crease.
He clocked the fastest ball thus far in IPL 2024 when he hurled a 155.8 kph thunderbolt to Shikhar Dhawan. His dismissals were of key batters, as he removed Jonny Bairstow (42), Prabhsimran Singh (19) and Jitesh Sharma (6). Yadav reached 150 kph consistently during his spell, which he had started with a 147 kph delivery.
Ex-England pacer Stuart Broad was impressed with Mayank's heroics and pointed out his control of line and length which complimented his natural pace.
"Obviously, he has a natural pace, but his control of line and length was exceptional for a young bowler. Sometimes, as a young bowler, you can come in and charge in with the emotion and try and bowl as quickly as possible. But the radar goes. But I thought his control of the lines was fantastic.
Yes, Jonny Bairstow hit a fantastic shot to the back of the point when there was a bit of width. But, other than that, he really didn’t give the batters anything. When you see world-class batters like Jonny Bairstow, who have played all over the world, when they get rushed, you know there’s something special.
I am delighted to see him getting the Player of the Match. When you see a fast bowler getting the award, it brings a smile to my face," Broad told Star Sports.
Stuart Broad also revealed that he had texted Steve Smith to be ready for Mayank Yadav ahead of India’s Test tour of Australia later this year.
Broad said, "You don’t need to get far ahead. But I have already texted Steve Smith. If you are seeing this guy in Australia in the Test series, get used to it."
(Star Sports inputs)
