The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 is going on in full swing and the cash-rich tournament has found another gem youngster who has the potential to break all records in fast bowling. Mayank Yadav on Tuesday became the first uncapped player to win player of the match in back-to-back two matches. Mayank Yadav picked up from where he left against the PBK and rattled the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at their own den. Mayank Yadav displayed a fiery spell of 4 overs in which he gave away only 14 runs but grabbed 3 important wickets. During the LSGvsRCB match, Mayank Yadav dismissed Glenn Maxwell, Cameroon Green, and Rajat Patidar. Mayank Yadav impressed every cricket pundits around the world and received massive praise from former cricketers like Brett Lee, Dale Steyan, and even Ian Bishop. Mayank Yadav's consistent 150-plus speed has impressed everyone around the world and fans are now demanding his inclusion into the Indian Team for the upcoming T20 World Cup and series against Australia. Now, the question arises who is Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Mayank Yadav? Below is everything you need to know about Mayank Yadav-
Who is Mayank Yadav?
Hailing from Delhi, Mayank Yadav is a 21-year-old right fast bowler who is playing for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2024. Growing up, Mayank Yadav was a great admirer of West Indies bowling legend Curtly Ambrose. His father Prabhu Yadav introduced him to Curtly Ambrose via videos and TV.
Mayank Yadav's father Prabhu used to run a factory where they made sirens for ambulances and police vehicles. One day he stopped at the Sonnet Club at Venkateshwara College in Delhi to watch his son Mayank bowl. Mayank Yadav's story at Sonnet Club is also an interesting one. For the unversed, the late Tarak Sinha was also the coach of Rishabh Pant.
Mayank reportedly caught Tarak Sinha’s attention at the Sonnet Club nets six years ago. Sinha could not take his eyes off this lanky, consistently quick bowler. Sinha was so impressed with Mayank's bowling that he had instructed the Sonnet Club officials to not charge any fees from him. Over his teenage years, Mayank became the most fearsome pacer in Delhi and is named as “sar pe maarne wala bowler( Who hits on the head).”
Notably, Mayank Yadav had rejected to play for Services and this had upset coach Tarak Sinha. However, Yadav assured him that he would make his way into Delhi's team. "He was not able to make it into the Delhi side and Services was giving him a job and a promise that he would get to play all the three formats, but Mayank didn’t take the offer,” says Devender as quoted by a portal. Devender now suns the famous Sonnet Club.
However, Tarak Sinha died in the second wave of COVID in November 2021, and a month later Mayank made his Delhi debut in the Vijay Hazare Trophy at Sector 16 Stadium in Chandigarh. He made his professional and Twenty20 debut for Delhi against Manipur, on 11 October 2022. In February 2023, he was bought by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the 2023 Indian Premier League season for Rs. 20 Lakhs. After missing the 2023 season due to injury, Yadav made his IPL debut in 2024 against the Punjab Kings and picked up three wickets while giving away 27 runs.