“Indians tend to get overly excited about young pacers; Varun Aaron experienced a similar situation.” – Atul Wassan regarding the controversy around Mayank Yadav’s injury

Atul Wassan, a former fast for India, claimed that Indians often get too enthused about young pacers who can bowl quickly and insist on playing in ICC (International Cricket Council) competitions before their bodies are prepared for the burden.

Mayank Yadav, a bowler with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), made waves in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) by earning two Player of the Match awards in his first two games. The cricket community took notice of him because of his constant ability to bowl at over 150 kph. The 21-year-old presently holds the record for the fastest delivery in the IPL 2024 after hitting a rocket at 156.7 kph during a match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

But the right-arm seamer only bowled one over in his third game before leaving the field due to an injury. Subsequently, Justin Langer, the head coach of Lucknow, disclosed that Mayank Yadav’s MRI results verified a small amount of abdominal edema. The former Australian opener claims that Mayank might miss the KL Rahul-led team’s next two games.

Some supporters want the Indian selectors to include the New Delhi native in the team for the next T20 World Cup 2024, which is scheduled to take place in June of this year, following his incredible debut in the lucrative league. Atul Wassan, a former cricket player who is now a broadcaster, said that Indians have a habit of pressuring young pacers to participate in important matches before they are physically prepared.

The issue lies in the Indian mentality; when a young player with speed enters the scene, people get giddy and want them to play in major tournaments like the World Cup or other major championships. After just two bouts, they are appointed judges. Atul Wassan said to “Indian Sports Fans” creator Sunil Yash Kalra in a live TV show on India News that “as a pacer, your height, weight, and size play a crucial role, and you need some hard bones to survive as an out-and-out pacer.”

Though Kapil Dev knew these folks would overhype him, he could also bowl at a fast pace: Atul Wassan

The 56-year-old used former India pacer Varun Aaron as an example. Despite having a fast bowling pace, Aaron was plagued by injuries and was only able to participate in 18 international matches for the Men in Blue. The renowned Kapil Dev was also mentioned by Atul Wassan as having the ability to bowl more quickly than before, but he understood it would not be good for him in the long run.

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“The reason I’m saying this is because they fire guys who get hurt. Varun Aaron experienced something similar; he became overexcited and paid a price for it. Wassan, who played four Tests and nine ODIs for India, said, “Kapil Dev could also bowl the out-and-out pace bowling but he knew that these guys would overhype him and would also push him aside after getting injured.”