Where did the 150 kph speedster Mayank Yadav disappear after IPL?

Speed and accuracy were the standout aspects of Mayank Yadav’s bowling during the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League, batsmen getting undone by raw pace. And for former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, Mayank cleaning up Australian all-rounder Cameron Green was the highlight of the entire tournament.

“One dismissal says it all. That wicket was enough for me to say whoa! This kid is special,” Mhambrey tells The Indian Express.

Lucknow Super Giants’ Mayank knocked out Green with a 156kph corker. It was not the wicket ball per se that impressed Mhambrey the most, but the build-up. Prior to that fourth ball of the eighth over in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s innings, Mayank had turned on the heat by crossing 155kph three times in a row.

“Green is a quality player and has played all his life on bouncy Australian surfaces but the way he got out, I felt he was scared. He was caught on the crease and done in with pace. That dismissal was one thing but the couple of balls Mayank bowled before that tells you about his skillset,” says Mhambrey.

Lucknow Super Giants’s Mayank Yadav celebrates after taking the wicket of Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Cameron Green during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 T20 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants, at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. (FILE)

Mayank managed to play only four games and bowled only 12.1 overs in IPL 2024. But during that brief period, he set the tournament alight by generating a speed of 155kph consistently before picking up a recurring abdominal strain.

It has been more than three and a half months since he played any competitive cricket. He was not picked for any of the four Duleep Trophy squads and has even pulled out of the inaugural Delhi Premier League (DPL). The Indian Express understands that the speedster has not yet recovered completely.

“He has spent every alternate week over the last three months at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). He pulled out of the DPL and we don’t know when he will be available, but we are hoping that he will be back to his best before our first Ranji Trophy match,” a Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) official told The Indian Express.

Regular NCA visits

Mayank’s mentor and former Delhi U-19 coach Narender Negi says the bowler is currently being monitored by NCA physios and trainers.

“He has been given a routine by the physios at the NCA. They are monitoring his body. He has been working on his strength and has been told to develop his leg and back muscles. They are being very careful with Mayank,” says Negi.

“There is no question about his biomechanics, it is about his physical fitness. His body is not suited for the kind of speeds he generates. But he is a special talent and is being looked after by the BCCI, who don’t want to take any risk with Mayank. You don’t get a bowler who can bowl 150kph-plus every day,” he says.

Negi explains the guidelines Mayank has been given by the NCA physios.

“He has been told to bowl 12-15 overs every day. They have set smaller goals for him. That’s why he spends alternate week at the NCA.

“For any athlete, the rehab is more frustrating than the injury. I have told Mayank to take it as a challenge. (Jasprit) Bumrah didn’t play for around a year but came back as a much-improved bowler. Mayank bowls at 150 (kmph) and has control and precision. This is just a learning phase for him,” says the coach.

The road ahead

Mhambrey feels Mayank needs to bowl more and play first-class cricket.

“I don’t agree that if he is not ready, just don’t play him. This is the age where he has to bowl. A bowler should bowl. The more you bowl, the more you will have control, you will know your threshold as to how much your body can take. You can’t wrap him up in cotton wool saying he will get injured.

“We can’t overbowl and burn him out but we have to be smart about how much he should bowl. As a fast bowler, he needs to play first-class cricket.

“When you play one season, you understand your bowling. You bowl in different conditions. Physically, you will be tested in different phases of the game. Sometimes, you will have to be on the ground for six sessions. And to be able to bowl with the same intensity in the last session will give you confidence when you play at the international level. I strongly feel Mayank needs to grind it out in the domestic season,” says the former India pacer.

Mayank Yadav in action. (FILE)

Mhambrey says the reason behind Mayank’s frequent breakdowns is that he hasn’t played enough red-ball cricket at the age-group level.

“You have to check his background. How much cricket has he played? How much has he bowled? Everything adds up. We need to go in depth about him, what have been his training methods? How many overs he used to bowl, his history of injuries. Going forward, fitness, technical aspects and workload are going to be the parameters for Mayank.

“He’s only 22. His body is still developing. He is in that injury-prone age-group. His body has not completely developed yet. His injuries can be controlled, if we understand his background well.”

Mayank, the rough diamond, got people talking on his first exposure to the big stage. The polished product may well be a nightmare for batsmen around the world.

“Mayank is definitely a great prospect. You can see that spark in him. He is very special and we all realised that in the last IPL. That clip (Green dismissal) is enough to motivate us to get the best out of him,” says Mhambrey.

“I am not looking at the next 10 or 15 years. I want to see what he can do in the next five. The next three-four years will be extremely crucial for him. Once he is 25-26, he will understand his body much better. And then he will have a good five years at the international level.”

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