Young tearaway pacer Mayank Yadav has taken the Indian Premier League (IPL) by storm with his undeniable pace. On his IPL debut for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Mayank bowled the fastest delivery of IPL 2024, clocked at 155.8 kmph, against the Punjab Kings. In the very next game against the RCB, he went on to better that record with delivery clocked at 156.7 kmph. His performance has already earned him backing of several experts for a place in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup.
Bu, Mayank has missed the last two games for LSG due to a workload issue.
Devang Gandhi, the head coach of Delhi’s Ranji Trophy team, feels Mayank, a player who has followed from close quarters, hasn’t ticked all boxes yet to become eligible for an India cap.
Gandhi feels that a player like Mayank, who is susceptible to injuries, needs to play more games to justify his fitness.
“He is a special talent. Somebody who clocks 155 kmph is definitely special. So obviously, with the impact that the body goes through, there will be injuries, but it is not that they can’t be managed. There has to be a way of grooming him. He will have to play more matches and go through the rigours, and then it needs to be assessed as to how he is able to withstand that,” Gandhi told Sports Now.
“But he has to tick all the boxes if he wants to play for India in the upcoming World Cup. He can be better accessed if he can play all 12 or 14 matches in the IPL. Selectors need to see a lot of parameters, and if he is able to tick most of those boxes, then he will merit a selection. Then again, the ball is in Mayank’s court, and he has to prove himself.”
Gandhi also suggested that Mayank had a surprise factor during his first two IPL games, but the opposition teams might work out a way to tackle him. In that case, the former India selector feels that the 21-year-old will have to work more on his bowling.
“Selectors also need to check his temperament and how he bounces back after an off day. Consistency in fitness and temperament are the other aspects that selectors will look at. Initially, he had the surprise element working in his favour, but now batters and think tanks will try to work out how to face him. So, how he manages to overcome that hurdle will be key. So Yadav has to tick two more boxes,” he added.
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