The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had announced India’s 15-man squad for the T20I series against Bangladesh on Saturday. Among the notable names included the young pace-sensation, Mayank Yadav who received his maiden call-up to the national side.
Speaking on his maiden call-up was his coach, Devender Sharma who believes that the 22-year-old was more than good enough to make it to the national side earlier had injuries not sidelined the youngster out of action.
“I feel very proud of him. His selection in the Indian team would have come earlier if he hadn’t been injured. He was disheartened after missing most of the matches for LSG in IPL 2024, but with the help of NCA, he is fully fit and fine, running hard, and bowling at the same pace. For sure, he will put up a good performance with the ball. He is hungry for it,” Devender said, as quoted by IANS.
Yadav had been out of action since the IPL where he picked up a recurring abdominal strain which ruled him out from LSG after making only four appearances. His pace was the biggest highlight as he was seen clocking speeds in excess of 150 kph with relative ease.
His debut against Punjab Kings (PBKS) saw him take 3 for 27, with his overall tournament economy rate standing at 6.99. However, an abdominal injury forced him out, cutting short what could have been a breakthrough season.
Speaking on the youngster’s road to recovery, Sharma elaborated that the process was a slow one which saw the fast-bowler head into the NCA to work on the physical aspects. When making his return, the coach also revealed that there was a slight drop in pace but now he is all set to go once again.
Sharma said, “Straightaway, he went to NCA in Bengaluru and started working on his fitness, diet, and all the necessary recovery steps. It was a slow process as the abdomen injury needed surgery, and coming out of that took time. When he started practising again, his speed dropped a bit, but now he’s back to full fitness and bowling with the same speed and accuracy.”
The national selectors included Mayank in a special camp at the NCA ahead of the Bangladesh series, alongside players like Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Sanju Samson, and Abhishek Sharma.
One key aspect that the coach has advised ahead of his highly awaited international career is that Mayank is still very young at 22 years old and a selective approach was needed to help him develop into a world-class bowler.
“He is still very young, so his body hasn’t fully developed like other pacers. A selective approach should be taken, allowing him to grow into the international scene gradually. Pace can be generated by many, but the accuracy he has is rare,” said Sharma.
The coach also reckons that there is a case for Mayank being brought into the Test side as a net-bowler to help the Indian side prepare for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 which is set to be played in Australia, later this November.
“Why not? He must go if BCCI wants him to. His pace is purely natural. I have never seen any natural pacer like him,” he concluded.
(with IANS Inputs)
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