“Child of the Wind” - The Mayank Yadav story

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Mayank Yadav, the new sensation in IPL 2024

"The flying Sikh," exclaimed General Ayub Khan, the then President of Pakistan, in awe of Indian sprinter Milkha Singh's remarkable speed. 

In a reminiscent moment, the legendary West Indian fast bowler, Ian Bishop, dubbed Mayank Yadav the "Child of the Wind" upon witnessing his exceptional bowling against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

But you cannot blame Bishop, for he was in awe of the raw talent at display, consistently clicking thunders. He has played only two matches in the IPL 2024 for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and is already in the purple cap race. So, he continues to garner praise from around the world for his ferocious bowling. The right-arm quick bagged a second consecutive 3-wicket haul in the ongoing tournament, registering the third-best bowling figure this season.

The express bowler from Delhi recorded the fastest ball of IPL 2024 at 156.7 bettering his record of 155.8 kph against Punjab Kings a couple of days earlier. This fetish for fast bowling for Mayank started in his childhood when his father told him stories about lethal pace bowling by West Indian legend, Curtly Ambrose. What followed was a passion for throwing fast bouncers, making him Delhi’s most fearsome pacer during his teenage.

Stories about him being transitioned into the national team are currently the talk of the town, but there are still a lot of miles to cover for the latest 150-click sensation. Mayank started his career under the same coach who foresaw Rishabh Pant’s talent, the late Tarak Sinha at the Sonnet club in Venkateshwara College, Delhi. 

Mayank’s rise in the game has been quick, as he has never played U-14 and U-16 cricket for Delhi but the late coach kept pushing the boy. He had the chance to play for the services team whom he declined, promising Sinha that he would make the cut for the Delhi team. Unfortunately, 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. With 12 needed off the last two overs, Yadav bowled a maiden in the 49th over to seal the game for his team, thus marking his rise.

The fast bowler though had a tough time with injuries, but once he got fit, he was fast-tracked into the North Zone side for the 50-over Deodhar Trophy where he knocked out Rahul Tripathi's middle stump with a rapid delivery.

While much is said about India's latest prodigy, it remains to be seen how he can accelerate his ascent by mitigating the risk of injuries.


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