Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Mayank Yadav was one of the emerging stars of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season.
The 22-year-old drew everyone’s attention with his sizzling pace as he frequently bowled at speeds greater than 150 kmph and delivered the fourth-fastest ball in IPL history at 156.7 kmph.
Unfortunately, an injury ended his participation after only four games, during which he picked up seven wickets and earned two Player-of-the-Match awards.
Having recovered from the back injury, Mayank Yadav recently received his maiden India call-up for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh, starting on October 6 in Gwalior.
In an exclusive chat with TOI, the 22-year-old tearaway shared his first reaction on the national selection.
“I wasn’t aware of the selection. But I saw my mates here receiving congratulatory calls. I just checked the BCCI website and got to know my name was there,” Mayank said.
He spoke to his mother for about six minutes before she got emotional and tears started rolling down her cheeks.
“Once I put down the phone, I had flashbacks in front of my eyes—from the day I first went to Sonnet Club to the four anxious months spent at the NCA to recover from frequent niggles,” he further stated.
Before his IPL debut, Mayank Yadav represented Delhi in one first-class match, 17 List A games, and 14 T20s. However, he wasn’t aware of his sensational speed till he played for LSG.
“I was not aware I could bowl this quick. I always thought I bowled at a pace which is normal for anybody. Devender Sharma sir (coach at Sonnet) and people in Delhi cricket would tell me I am bowling 150 kmph but I never believed them. In my first session at LSG in 2022, I bowled for a while. The support staff asked me to guess the speed of my deliveries. I said 140 kmph since I felt I bowled in a good rhythm. But then they told me I was bowling 149 and 150 kmph throughout. That’s when I realized I could bowl really quick,” he remarked.
Reflecting on his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, Mayank said: “When I was with LSG, I went to Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala (one who treated Rishabh Pant and looks after India’s Olympians). He told me my side strain is not a regular one. It happens to athletes in high-intensity sports like javelin or there must have been a major impact with an object. When I went to NCA after IPL, it was found that I was not taking enough protein. Since I am a strict vegetarian, I had to be given supplements. I had other niggles when I was about to get fit. It was agonizing but people at NCA like Troy Cooley and my trainer Rajnikanth were helpful. I can tell you that I understand my body now.”
(With TOI Inputs)
