Former Sunrisers coach warns India not to pick budding IPL star for T20 World Cup
India's squad announcement for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA is due to happen in a few days.
IPL 2024 is turning out to be an excellent platform for budding youngsters. So far, a no. of domestic players like Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Mayank Yadav, Riyan Parag, and many more have become a household name due to their stellar performances.
Fast bowler Mayank Yadav has played just three matches so far but has already created enough sensation to be in India's T20 World Cup plans. While playing for Lucknow Super Giants, Mayank ripped apart Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru's batting line-ups to take his team to a win on his own. He was adjudged Player of the Match in his first two IPL matches, which is also a record.
The most impressive part of Mayank Yadav's performances turned out to be his ability to bowl at ultra-high speeds. Mayank regularly clocked speeds north of 150 kph and constantly created trouble for the batters. He has got the wickets of renowned international batters like Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, and Jonny Bairstow, which shows his skill and temperament.
Tom Moody warns India not to pick Mayank Yadav for T20 World Cup
While speaking to ESPNCricinfo, former Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Tom Moody said that he was impressed with Mayank Yadav but warned the Indian selectors of drafting him too early into the squad for the T20 World Cup.
“I've loved what I saw for a first couple of games, it was quite extraordinary to the point you want to see the replays of that game. But you cannot have a knee-jerk reaction and pick him in the World Cup, when he has only played two games and got injured," Moody opined.
Moody added that Mayank is definitely for the future and India should prepare him for 2026 T20 World Cup.
“You don't really know what he's capable of doing over a long period of time, under pressure and in different roles. Yes, he's an absolute lock for the future, and look after the asset. For me, it's the 2026 World Cup you should be looking at (with him),” the former Australia allrounder added.
Also read: KL Rahul left unhappy as umpire rules marginal wide call in CSK's favour
After having match figures of 3-27 and 3-14 in his first two games of IPL, Mayank Yadav got injured in the next match against Gujarat Titans. He bowled just one over in the match and went off the field after experiencing some soreness in his lower abdominal area. Since then, he is yet to play a match but could be expected to be back in the field soon.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram and YouTube.