New pace sensation Mayank Yadav will be closely followed by all and sundry after his match-winning performances as Lucknow Super Giants eye a hat-trick of wins when they take on an inconsistent Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League in Lucknow on April 7.

Yadav has caught everyone’s attention in the ongoing IPL with his raw pace and razor-sharp control, winning back-to-back player-of-the-match awards.

In his debut match against Punjab Kings, the 21-year-old returned impressive figures of 3/27, stunning England batter Jonny Bairstow with his searing pace.

He followed that performance with 3/14 figures against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, blowing away Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell with a 151kmph delivery, and then cleaned up his teammate Cameron Green.

His spectacular performances have led to debates within the cricketing community whether he should be fast-tracked into the Indian team.

But only two games can’t be a parameter for a place in the Indian team. For Yadav, the crucial factor would be his consistency, which the national selectors will be closely following.

On the batting front, LSG boast of a solid opening pair of Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul. The South African has been in prime form after a rare off day in the team’s opener but the skipper needs to get his act together as he hasn’t been able to capitalise on starts.

The big-hitting Nicholas Pooran has been LSG’s go-to-man in the finishing overs while Krunal Pandya was also handy in the last game.

But the major concern for the Lucknow outfit remains the form of Devdutt Padikkal and Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.

In bowling, Yadav needs more support from the likes of Naveen-ul-Haq, Yash Thakur, Mohsin Khan, Stonis, and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi.

LSG, who are placed fourth with two wins out of three games, would also look to keep a clean slate at home and cash in on familiar conditions to register the third successive win this season.

GT, on the other hand, have had a mixed bag campaign so far under new captain Shubman Gill, winning two and losing two games to occupy the seventh spot on the points table.

Gill, who scored an unbeaten 89 off 48 balls, found some much-needed runs in the previous game and would look to continue in the same vein.

B Sai Sudharsan has looked in good touch but would be on the lookout for a big score. However, the likes of Wriddhiman Saha and Vijay Shankar need to rise to the occasion.

Mohit Sharma has been the stand-out performer for GT, but he needs more support from the likes of Azmatullah Omarzai, Umesh Yadav, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad.

Teams (from):

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), David Miller, Matthew Wade, Wriddhiman Saha, Robin Minz, Kane Williamson, Abhinav Mandhar, B Sai Sudarshan, Darshan Nalkande, Vijay Shankar, Azmatullah Omarzai, Shahrukh Khan, Jayant Yadav, Rahul Tewatia, Kartik Tyagi, Shshant Mishra, Spencer Johnson, Noor Ahmad, Sai Kishore, Umesh Yadav, Rashid Khan, Joshua Little, Mohit Sharma and Manav Suthar.

Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Krunal Pandya, Yudhvir Singh, Prerak Mankad, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Shamar Joseph, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, K. Gowtham, Arshin Kulkarni, M. Siddharth, Ashton Turner, Matt Henry, Mohd Arshad Khan.

Match starts at 7.30 PM.

LSG’s Mayank Yadav during the IPL 2024 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Lucknow Super Giants, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru on April 02, 2024.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

In the post-match press conference on Tuesday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact Player Mahipal Lomror explained that the team’s game plan to tackle Lucknow Super Giants fast bowler Mayank Yadav was to use his express pace to get boundaries.

But in order to execute this idea, you must first get bat on it. Cameron Green failed on this front, as Mayank cut through his tame defence to thud into off-stump. The delivery may have been well short of the 156.7kmph clocked by Mayank earlier in the game, but it was still much too quick for the Australian.

Futile exercise

And when they did get bat on it, it was a futile exercise. Glenn Maxwell and Rajat Patidar did not have enough time to adjust the feet and get over the bounce, and ended up awkwardly slicing it high.

Just two games into his IPL career, Mayank is the hottest property in Indian cricket. In an era where speedsters are required to showcase cutters and slow bouncers, Mayank’s allure lies in raw firepower.

There are already calls to include the 21-year-old in the Indian team for the ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2024. It is tough to argue against this suggestion. A rocket delivery at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will remain a rocket in the USA and West Indies. Pace like fire holds immeasurable value in both franchise and international cricket.

Mayank was on the LSG bench for IPL 2022, and missed the previous IPL season through injury. If he manages to play through IPL 2024 without a break, Mayank will prove that he is ready for international duty.

LSG captain K.L. Rahul noted that Mayank had “quietly and patiently waited for two seasons in the dugout”.

“Mayank has worked hard to make his comeback. He knows that bowling 155kmph consistently is not easy. He is a thorough professional when it comes to looking after his body,” Rahul added.

When he has the ‘keeping gloves on to Mayank, Rahul wisely takes a few steps back. “I’m enjoying seeing him bowl from 20 yards behind the stumps. That is how far back I would like to be when he is bowling,” Rahul said.

Lucknow Super Giants’s Mayank Yadav appeals unsuccessfully during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 T20 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants, at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru on April 2, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Fast bowling sensation Mayank Yadav came up with his second consecutive match-winning spell on April 2 and he is hoping that his stellar start to the IPL leads to an India cap.

With back-to-back player of the match performances in his debut season, the 21-year-old has emerged as the find of season. However, IPL is only a means to an end for Mayank.

“Feel really good, two Player of the Match awards in two matches. I am happier that we won both the matches. My goal is to play for the country. I feel this is just the start. I enjoyed Cameron Green’s wicket the most,” said Mayank after LSG’s win over RCB in Bengaluru.

His three wickets included Green, Glenn Maxwell and Rajat Patidar. Mayank had missed the last season due to injury and he fully knows the importance to fitness.

“There are a lot of factors to bowl quick — diet, sleep, training. I am focusing a lot on my diet and recovery — ice bath,” he said.

LSG skipper KL Rahul could not be more pleased for a cricketer who has shown great temperament to complement his thunderous pace.

After rattling Punjab Kings batters with pace on his IPL debut, the 21-year-old meted out similar treatment to RCB batters to end with a second straight three-wicket haul.

Rahul is having a hard time keeping to Mayank but he is not complaining.

“One ball hit me really hard, so happy to see Mayank bowl the way he’s been bowling. He’s waited patiently for a year, he’s working really hard, he’s really professional, has a great temperament,” said Rahul at the post-match presentation. RCB skipper Faf du Plessis also gave due credit to Mayank.

“It is the new action you haven’t faced before, and if they have pace then you need time to get used to it. But his ability to control length and have accuracy is impressive.

“You need two guys to bat through and get a partnership which we were not able to do. We need the strong characters in the dressing room to put their hand up,” said du Plessis after RCB’s third loss in four games.