Mayank Yadav, playing his first IPL game, sent down a 155.8kmph delivery in his second over while playing for Lucknow Super Giants against Punjab Kings today (March 30).

LSG bought the 21-year-old for his base price of INR 20 lakh in the IPL auction ahead of the 2022 season. He was with the side last year but suffered an injury.

Mayank made his debut against Punjab Kings and impressed right away, sending down a 150kmph delivery in his first over of the game. He broke the speed-o-meter in the next over, starting the 12th with a 155.8kph ball to Shikhar Dhawan. Only one Indian quick, Umran Malik, has been clocked at a faster speed. The 24-year-old speedster, who burst onto the scene from obscurity in similar fashion, hit a top speed of 157kph in IPL 2022.

Mayank got his maiden IPL scalp three balls later, dismissing Jonny Bairstow for 42. He also went on to dismiss Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma, finishing with 3-27. Before his second over, Punjab Kings were cruising at 102-0. He claimed the first three wickets to fall, and they subsided to a comfortable defeat.

Who is Mayank Yadav?

Mayank made his domestic debut in 2021 and has played one first-class game for Delhi thus far, with 17 List A matches and 10 T20s. He has an exceptional record in the shorter formats, picking up 34 wickets in List A cricket at an average of 21.55 and an economy rate of 5.35.

In T20s, he averages 15.58 and concedes runs at an economy of 6.44 per over.

Mayank made his List A debut against Haryana in 2021 and picked up three wickets for 61 runs in his 10 overs. The following year, he made his T20 debut in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and picked up seven scalps in five games at an average of 15. He got two wickets on his Ranji Trophy debut in 2022.

In the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2022/23, Mayank got ten wickets and was the leading wicket-taker for his side. He carried on his form last season as well, getting five wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and six in the Vijay Hazare.

In the CK Colonel Trophy this year, a tournament for the under-23 players, he got 15 wickets in nine innings.

Mayank Yadav
•got the wicket of Prabhsimran on a short ball.

•got the wicket of Naman Dhir on a short ball
In the same over.

Mayank Yadav is bowling at 140-145kmph. If you can bowl good short balls at this pace, it's never easy.#SMAT#SMAT https://t.co/iOBkgE2It5

— Varun Giri (@Varungiri0) November 4, 2023

In the Deodhar Trophy last year, Mayank picked up 12 wickets, the second-most, at an average of 17.58, constantly troubling batters with the short ball. He dismissed Ricky Bhui against South Zone with a 139kmph short ball and also used the slower ball effectively in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

While his speed on IPL debut came as a surprise to many, with several player profiles listing him as medium-fast or fast-medium before the game. However, he had been clocked at high speeds when playing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

He soon caught the eye, with former Australia speedster Brett Lee, who vied with Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar for the title of world’s fastest bowler during his career, predicting he would become India’s quickest ever.

India has just found its fastest bowler.
Mayank Yadav! 🇮🇳
Raw pace 👏🏻
Very impressive @IPL @JioCinema @BCCI

— @BrettLee_58 (@BrettLee_58) March 30, 2024

“He surprised me that he was bowling that quick,” said Shikhar Dhawan, who also praised his “smart” mixing up of bouncers and yorkers.

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