The youngster was impressive in his debut IPL match. He said that he focuses on being the best rather than being the fastest bowler.
IPL’s latest pace bowling sensation Mayank Yadav has started to create headlines. The LSG youngster took his team to its first win of the season with a sensational spell of fast bowling, where he finished with 3/27 in his four overs. Lucknow Super Giants went on to win the match by 21 runs.
Mayank started his spell when Punjab Kings were going strong at 88-0 in 9 overs while chasing a target of 200 runs. But the 21-year-old troubled the batters throughout his spell with his extra pace. Mayank clocked speeds close to 150 kmph on a regular basis which was a rare sight to see for a domestic bowler. He also bowled the fastest ball of the season so far at 155.8 kmph.
While speaking to the TOI, Mayank Yadav spoke about his future ambitions and enhancing his skills. He felt that pace is a plus point but it’s the other things where the focus needs to be.
“I never wanted to become the world’s fastest bowler. I never dreamt of that. I don’t want to become the world’s fastest bowler. I just want to be the world’s best bowler. I just want to concede fewer runs and remain consistent with my performance. Pace is a plus point for me. There are other things like line, length, and where to hit the ball. Pace just backs those areas,” Mayank said.
“The strategy was to exploit the longer side of the field. The leg side presented a sizable target from my bowling position. I opted not to bowl towards the off side, assuming that any room given would result in the batsman easily dispatching the ball for a boundary. I aimed to bowl short and target the batsman’s body. Both Bairstow and Jitesh attempted to make room and play their shots, but my strategy proved effective against them,” the youngster explained his plan for Punjab Kings batters.
Mayank Yadav went on to reveal that he used to watch former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn’s videos and learn from it. The youngster dreams to meet his idol (Dale Steyn) someday.
“I take inspiration from Dale Steyn. I just love the way he shows his aggression from his bowling. He can intimidate any batsman with his pace. Steyn is my idol. I never met him. I really want to meet him someday. That day will be like a dream come true for me. I watch Steyn’s bowling videos and his best spells and learn from those,” Mayank added.
Mayank Yadav got the wickets of Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, and Jitesh Sharma in his breathtaking spell of fast bowling. His outstanding spell on IPL debut earned him the Player of the Match award.
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