Former South Africa cricketer and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) fielding coach Jonty Rhodes called IPL 2024 spearhead pacer Mayank Yadav “Rolls Royce” of the IPL franchise. The pacer, a product of Delhi’s Sonnet Cricket Club, gained the attention of the cricket fraternity with his raw pace in his debut match against Punjab Kings (PBKS). The Delhi-bound pacer continuously bowled above 145 and returned with a figure of 3 for 27 with a top speed of 155.8 km/h. In the four matches that he played for the franchise in 2024, Mayank picked four wickets with an economy of 6.99. However, he suffered the injury against Gujarat Titans at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium and walked off the field due to a side strain, which was further confirmed as lower abdomen soreness which resulted in him being out of the play for whole season.

“I’m not a bowling coach, but Morne Morkel, during the previous season, when Mayank got injured at the start of the preparation, literally Morne said, ‘Wow, this guy (Mayank Yadav), he’s like the Rolls Royce of bowlers, similar to how we used to call Allan Donald a Rolls Royce. He is LSG’s Rolls Royce.

“He had a whole season with the team and that’s why the owners decided to keep him with the team, he did all his rehab throughout the IPL, and stayed a part of the unit because we really believe that he is a young guy with extreme talent and we saw him in the games that he played and and everybody was really monitoring him not wrapping him in cotton wool,” Rhodes told IANS.

Mayank also holds the record of the fastest delivery of IPL 2024, at 156.7 kmph, which came in the clash against RCB at Bengaluru. Frequent injuries have put hurdles in Mayank’s cricketing journey so far. He missed IPL 2023 due to an injury sustained in a practice session and had to miss the 2023/24 Ranji Trophy entirely because of an injury, for which he underwent rehabilitation in Mumbai.

“But monitoring his workload and understanding that he is a guy that doesn’t need to bowl 30 minutes every day in the nets, he just needs to topup to make sure that he from a mental and emotional point of view feels that he’s ready because he is raw talent. We saw what happened with Umran Malik who burst onto the scenes at sheer pace we all got excited, but you know the question is can the player bowl to the game plan that’s because they’re bowling some of the best batters in the world and sometimes on really good surfaces so if you’ve just got pace and you can’t bowl in good areas or with good skill, the better players will hit you out the ground,” said Rhodes.

“So I think from a point of view where LSG haven’t worried about, or haven’t gone, let’s wrap him in cotton wool, because then he comes to the game, you never know what’s going to happen. But the preparation is key and hopefully, you know, through the season when the off season and now the season again by the time he comes to IPL and if he’s playing with LSG again or even if he’s not playing for LSG I just hope Mayank is bowling and is fit for the whole IPL because there’s a talent that is exciting,” he concluded.

In the first week of IPL 2024, a 21-year-old pacer burst onto the scene. Clocking 150 kph at ease and picking up six wickets in his first two games, Lucknow Super Giants’ Mayank Yadav already being tipped to be a future India star, with calls coming to include him in the 2024 T20 World Cup squad and take him to India’s tour of Australia. With the T20 World Cup well behind us, and the Australia tour not too far away, Mayank Yadav’s hype has faded away. In fact, the fast bowler hasn’t played a game since the IPL.

Yadav is still reportedly recovering from his injury, and is not ready to bowl yet. The pacer – who turned 22 in June – spends time at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

“He has spent every alternate week over the last three months at the NCA. We are hoping that he will be back to his best before our first Ranji Trophy match,” a Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) official told The Indian Express.

Former Delhi U19 coach and Mayank’s mentor Narender Negi has said that bowling 12-15 overs a day is a part of Mayank’s routine as he is eased back to cricket. Mayank recently pulled out of the ongoing Delhi Premier League 2024.

“He has been given a routine by the physios at the NCA. They are monitoring his body. He has been working on his strength and has been told to develop his leg and back muscles. They are being very careful with Mayank,” said Negi.

“He is a special talent and is being looked after by the BCCI, who don’t want to take any risk with Mayank,” he added.

Former Team India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, who was part of the national setup during Rahul Dravid‘s tenure, stated that it is important for Mayank to get back into action.

“I don’t agree that if he is not ready, just don’t play him. This is the age where he has to bowl. A bowler should bowl. The more you bowl, the more you will have control, you will know your threshold as to how much your body can take. You can’t wrap him up in cotton wool saying he will get injured,” said Mhambrey.

He urged Mayank to play more red ball cricket, stating that that would help him improve his fitness and confidence.

“When you play one season, you understand your bowling. You bowl in different conditions. Physically, you will be tested in different phases of the game. Sometimes, you will have to be on the ground for six sessions. And to be able to bowl with the same intensity in the last session will give you confidence when you play at the international level. I strongly feel Mayank needs to grind it out in the domestic season,” he said.

File photo of India coach Gautam Gambhir and BCCI secretary Jay Shah© BCCI

Gautam Gambhir’s expected appointment as India’s head coach could provide a new lease of life to IPL champion skipper Shreyas Iyer’s international career during the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka in July-August. Having led Kolkata Knight Riders successfully in the IPL, Iyer could also go for the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe starting July 5, but the more realistic chance of a comeback is the ODI series against Sri Lanka. Gambhir, who is the front-runner for India coach position, and Iyer forged a successful partnership during KKR’s victorious IPL campaign this year and the talented Mumbai right-hander, who has been a prolific 50-over batter, might finally have fortune favouring him after a few tumultuous months. Gambhir was the mentor of the franchise.

Iyer was dropped from BCCI’s central contracts, along with Ishan Kishan, after he hey fell out with the establishment for his apparent reluctance to play Ranji Trophy.

However, Iyer always maintained that his recurring lower back issue kept him out of the game even though he did play the Ranji Trophy final scoring 90-odd runs.

Currently, a lot of young hopefuls, who have performed in the IPL, are training at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for five T20Is against Zimbabwe set to be announced some time next week.

“Shreyas is currently not at NCA. Here mostly those players are there, who have performed in the IPL and will be in contention for Zimbabwe selection.

“Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Mayank Yadav, Harshit Rana, Nitish Reddy, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Dayal are all at the camp. Some will go to Zimbabwe T20Is,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

“However, there is every possibility that Shreyas will travel for the three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka. The last ODI that India played was in South Africa and he scored a half-century (52). He had 500 plus runs (530) in World Cup and averages just around 50. Can you drop him?” he added.

It is understood that seniors like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, along with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, will now focus on ODIs and Tests for the remainder of the season with nine WTC Tests between September 2024 to January 2025.

The schedule includes two home games each against Bangladesh and New Zealand, five away against Australia and the marquee ODI Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

While there will be a lot of new players in T20Is including IPL stars, the likes of Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Avesh Khan, and Khaleel Ahmed are also expected to travel to Zimbabwe.

In case Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav are not rested, they are expected to be the designated captain and vice-captain for the tour although both have been playing constantly since the start of the IPL.

File photo of Mayank Yadav© AFP