IPL2024: Should Mayank Yadav, the pacer, be included to the Indian team sooner rather than later?

MUMBAI: There’s a growing buzz that Mayank Yadav, a 21-year-old pace sensation from Delhi, should be selected for the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA in June, as each thunderbolt he unleashes in the Indian Premier League 2024—the most recent of which was a 156.7 kmph rocket that broke his own record of 155.8 kmph.
There are rumours that the pacer has pleased Indian cricket’s decision-makers.

“He is prepared for elite cricket. Now, while he still possesses true speed, is the right moment to play him rather than when this unique attribute wanes. The instance of former India bowler Abey Kuruvilla in the 1990s is a prime illustration of how India has missed out on tearaway pacers in the past because they were forced to play too late in their careers, by which time they had lost pace. Mayank now has a great chance of getting selected for the T20 World Cup, an insider told this newspaper.

“Genuine fast bowlers are a rare commodity,” former India top selector MSK Prasad said to TOI in support of Mayank’s quick promotion to the Indian side. Consider Javagal Srinath or any of the other great fast bowlers; they never played as much domestic cricket as they do now. Why not choose a bowler right away if you think he has good speed, accuracy, and game intelligence? He also has a nice change of pace. Imagine the firepower Mayank’s addition will bring to India’s speed assault, especially with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj guaranteed!
Prasad believes the young Turk can play for India because of his precision. The former India glovesman even continued to draw a comparison between Mayank’s entry and Bumrah’s.

“We’ve seen other young pacers who can bowl really quickly in the past, but they may be errant and lack game knowledge. Though they may have developed over time, Mayank seems to be an experienced bowler already. We immediately selected Bumrah for India after seeing him in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy many years ago, and he never looked back. Prasad said, “I sense something similar with Mayank.

“Why not fast-track someone who can consistently cause problems for English or Australian batters, for whom bowling fast is their lifeblood?” He bowls like a “corridor.” He has already rejected every batter because they were unable to keep up with his accuracy or speed. They had to take a shot since the circumstances required it, but Prasad commended them all for being late and losing to speed.

Former Delhi selector and leg-spinner Chetanya Nanda feels the time is right to test the young speedster. Nanda, who saw Mayank’s potential early on and pushed for his selection for the senior Delhi team after witnessing him hurrying up the batters while taking nine wickets for the Delhi Under-19 team against Madhya Pradesh in 2022,.

The hitters were facing him and stood away from the stumps when I first spotted him! He performed well when I argued for his inclusion in the Delhi squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He ought to be chosen for the T20 World Cup, in my opinion,” Nanda said.
The newest members of the Mayank fan club are former Australian all-rounder Tom Moody, South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada, and former Australian quick Brett Lee.

Some, meanwhile, think Yadav is now “too raw” and “injury-prone”; after being selected by the Lucknow Super Giants, he did suffer a side-strain injury that prevented him from playing in the IPL last year.
He’s too raw right now. He has participated in only two IPL games. Remember that he is also prone to injuries. We don’t know whether he will be able to participate in the Indian Premier League for the whole season. It is preferable that he follow the correct procedures, such as first representing India A. He has only participated in one Ranji Trophy match for Delhi. Furthermore, the Indian squad already has established fast bowlers. What if he gives up almost 50 runs per game in his next three games? thought off-spinner and former India selector Sarandeep Singh.

There’s also the worry that raw speed shouldn’t be squandered since it’s not readily accessible. Umran Malik, a pacer from Jammu and Kashmir, waltzed into the Indian squad for the 2022 IPL after routinely hitting speeds of over 150 kph and taking 22 wickets in 14 games. But Malik wasn’t treated properly and didn’t live up to his first pledge.
We can only hope that Mayank’s scenario will be different for the sake of Indian cricket.