On Saturday, India announced the squad for the T20I series against Bangladesh, featuring several fresh faces. Varun Chakravarthy returns to the squad after three years, while Sunrisers Hyderabad’s promising all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has earned his maiden call-up. However, the selection creating the most buzz is that of Mayank Yadav.
Mayank Yadav, whose appearance resembles Suryakumar Yadav, possesses entirely different skills from the latter. While Suryakumar is a destructive batter, Mayank is an explosive fast bowler. He made his IPL debut in 2024 for the Lucknow Super Giants, where he grabbed attention in his first match against the Punjab Kings by clocking a 156 KMPH delivery with his express pace
Not just known for his pace, Mayank Yadav has also earned praise for his accuracy in line and length. In his IPL debut, he took 3 wickets while conceding just 27 runs in his 4-over spell. Over the course of IPL 2024, Mayank played 4 matches and claimed 7 wickets. Unfortunately, his season was cut short after sustaining an injury in his 4th match.
Mayank Yadav, 22, began his professional cricket career in 2022, making his List A debut for Delhi. In his brief two-year career, he has played 17 List A matches, 11 T20s, and 1 first-class match. Mayank’s personal fastest delivery was clocked at 156.7 KMPH against RCB, making it the fastest ball of the IPL 2024 season and the 4th fastest in IPL history. The top three are Shaun Tait’s 157.7 KMPH, Lockie Ferguson’s 157.3 KMPH, and Umran Malik’s 157 KMPH.
Mayank Yadav’s career has just kicked off, and who knows—he may touch the 160 KMPH mark in the coming years. He is expected to earn his India cap in the T20I series against Bangladesh, as he is one of three fast bowlers named in the squad, alongside Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.
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Mayank will begin his India career under his ‘brother from another mother,’ Suryakumar Yadav. Surya has led India in 10 T20I matches, winning 8 of them. His tenure as captain began on a high note and all eyes will be on him to see how he performs in the home series against Bangladesh.