Mayank Yadav's rise from Sonnet Club to IPL 2024 & why an India cap should follow for the LSG pacer

Mayank Yadav trained at Delhi's Sonnet Club whose alumni list boasts names like Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, Ashish Nehra and Ishan Kishan. (Image source: X)

Mayank Yadav has come a long way from the time when the lack of proper bowling footwear threatened to derail his progress. In the space of four nights and eight overs, the 21-year-old from Delhi has established himself as a household name, reiterating the Indian Premier League’s primacy as the stage that brings dreams to fruition.

Another notable product of the Sonnet Club whose alumni list boasts Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, Ashish Nehra and Ishan Kishan, among others, Mayank has made people sit up and take notice with his tearaway pace, his composure and calmness, his remarkable temperament and his awesome control.

Two games for Lucknow Super Giants, two Player of the Match awards, a constant fascination for the 150 kmph mark and the ability to crank it up above 155 kmph single him out as a precious commodity in Indian cricket whose skills demand that he be fast-tracked to the national side if he keeps adding to his volume of work over the next four weeks or so.

A hamstring injury owing to his old shoes that failed to grip the damp surface properly during a practice game before the start of last season left Mayank on the sidelines, frustrated but not broken. Putting his contract money to good use and fortifying himself with the footwear required to buttress his natural pace, he has burst on to the scene with electrifying effect, sending stumps flying, hustling batsmen for pace and striking intimidation, if not fear, in the hearts of oppositions.

Lithe and wiry and seemingly blessed with natural athleticism, Mayank’s effortlessness in getting the ball to the other end in the shortest span of time stands out as much as his control and the nonchalance with which he goes about his business. In Bengaluru on Tuesday night, among his three victims were the seasoned Aussie duo of Glenn Maxwell, a maverick if there ever is one, and the highly rated Cameron Green.

It will be no exaggeration to state that both were beaten for pace on not necessarily the fastest of tracks, Maxwell caught trying to pull and Green bowled off-stump with his bat still on the way down. Unless one was a Royal Challengers Bengaluru fan, it made for exhilarating viewing. With the promise of more to come over the next 50 days.