Mayank Yadav, the 21-year-old debutant for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), made quite an impact in the IPL 2024. His express pace left the Punjab Kings (PBKS) reeling, despite a valiant effort from their skipper Shikhar Dhawan, who scored a gritty 70 off 50 balls. But who exactly is this explosive pacer, who turned out to be the story of the match in Lucknow?
Mayank Yadav’s debut in the IPL 2024 was crucial in the Lucknow Super Giants’ maiden victory of the season against the Punjab Kings. Not only did he scalp three wickets—Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, and Jitesh Sharma—but he also bowled the fastest ball of IPL 2024 at an astonishing 155.8 km/h. 🚀
In a scorching delivery, Mayank sent down a 155.8 kmph thunderbolt to Punjab’s captain Shikhar Dhawan, who was batting on 59 at the time. PBKS were comfortably placed, with the score reading 101/0 off 11 overs, as they chased a target of 222 runs. The sheer pace of the youngster overwhelmed the batters, resulting in three crucial wickets.
Before that, in his first over, Mayank had already caused a stir by consistently bowling with incredible speeds. His speeds in the first over read: 147 kmph, 146 kmph, 150 kmph, 141 kmph, and 149 kmph. Mayank’s pace continued to dazzle throughout the match, and he ended up with the three fastest balls of IPL 2024: 155.8 kph, 153.9 kph, and 153.4 kph.
PBKS captain Shikhar Dhawan admitted, “Mayank surprised me. His pace outsmarted us. He bowled really well. It was nice facing him, surprised me with that pace. Knew as an experienced player I’d use it. But he figured it out and bowled yorkers to keep me down to a dot and a single. I was mindful and told my partners to use the short side. He bowled at Prabh’s body and got him out. Told Jitesh to leave Mayank and take on the other bowlers, but they bowled well too and then used the pressure against us.”