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Made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Mayank Yadav became a sensation overnight for clocking well above 150. He made headlines when he bowled a 156.7 kmph delivery. Not just his pace, his ability to keep the bowlers quiet was talked about too. However, soon enough he struggled with injuries and could only play a few games. Since then, he is recovering at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). He was raring to return but pulled out of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) and wasn't picked for Duleep Trophy 2024's opening rounds either. As Mayank’s struggles continue, former bowling coach Paras Mhambrey believes that the 22-year-old needs to play First-Class cricket.
“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," he told Indian Express in an interview. “We can’t overbowl and burn him out but we have to be smart about how much he should bowl. As a fast bowler, he needs to play first-class cricket.
“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,” added the 52-year-old.
How Mayank’s injuries can be controlled?
Mhambrey also recalled when Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) Chris Green looked scared facing him. He feels an in-depth background check of his bowling style and injuries has to be done to get rid of his injury-proneness.
“You have to check his background. How much cricket has he played? How much has he bowled? Everything adds up. We need to go in depth about him, what have been his training methods? How many overs he used to bowl, his history of injuries. Going forward, fitness, technical aspects and workload are going to be the parameters for Mayank,” Mhambrey said.
“He’s only 22. His body is still developing. He is in that injury-prone age-group. His body has not completely developed yet. His injuries can be controlled, if we understand his background well.”
Meanwhile, Mayank is expected to return to action for Ranji Trophy 2024-25.
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