Since winning Player of the Match accolades in the current IPL 2024, Mayank Yadav, a young fast bowler for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), has drawn a lot of attention. In his first-ever IPL match, the 21-year-old took three wickets against the Punjab Kings after finishing with stats of 3/14 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He was the first player to win Player of the Match in his first two games after doing this.
Pundits covering cricket bestowed upon him their endorsements, with many suggesting that he would be a candidate for the much-awaited ICC T20 World Cup 2024, starting on June 1. The right-arm pacer, for his part, is keeping his expectations in check and has said that he has none.
I frequently express that I have been anticipating the moment to demonstrate my abilities since I was a little child. Furthermore, I never thought I’d have such a positive response. In an exclusive interview with CNN-News18, Yadav stated, “I never thought about it, but I feel very good.”
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“My only objective is to play for my country, and I want to do so for as long as I can. I don’t have any expectations for what will happen after the Indian Premier League right now. I know that some people are talking about the T20 World Cup selection and other series, but I don’t have any high hopes for those either,” he continued.
The fact that I can produce this much pace seems to come naturally to me. Mayank Yadav
With one of the fastest balls ever seen in the IPL, Mayank Yadav has left a lasting impression. Presently, he is the IPL record holder for the most deliveries above 155 kmph. He broke his own record of 155.8 kmph against PBKS in his second match against RCB, clocking in at 156.7 kmph. He credited his natural talent for bowling quickly for this accomplishment.
“I believe that this level of pace is something I’m naturally capable of doing; yet, in order to push yourself above that point, hard practice is absolutely required. Being in the company of encouraging people was a blessing. They were really helpful to me in my early days,” the 21-year-old remarked.
Yadav said he didn’t realize his delivery had broken the record until after the game, looking back on it at 156.7 kmph. He went on to say that his goal going forward is to bowl even faster.
Since I was entirely preoccupied with the match at the time, I was unable to comprehend. When two or three players informed me about the match after it had ended, I discovered that my speed had improved from the previous one. It’s better if my speed grows more,” he said.
When someone pushes my boundaries, I don’t like it. No matter how big the batter is, I want to overpower them. Furthermore, things have been this way since I was a child, not just now. He said, “I like to exert pressure and I want to always be in control.”