Fast bowlers are frequently advised to sacrifice speed in favour of developing a wider range of variations. However, Mayank Yadav received invaluable counsel from his esteemed Delhi senior, Ishant Sharma, right from the outset: never compromise on pace to hone other skills.
Having already delivered the fastest ball of this IPL season at 156.7 kmph against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), India's emerging pace sensation shared insights during his conversation with 'Jio Cinema'. He reflected on the guidance imparted by Ishant, a seasoned campaigner with over 100 Tests under his belt, as well as another senior pacer, Navdeep Saini.
"All the bowlers I spoke to in Delhi, Ishant bhai and Saini bhai, they all told me that even if I wanted to try anything new, I should play around my speed. If I want to add a new skill, it should be around my speed and that I don't need to add any skills that could compromise my speed," said Mayank.
While the primary goal remains taking as many wickets as possible to contribute to a victorious outcome, the underlying intention to generate pace with each delivery is first for Mayank.
"My attention isn't on speed as much as it is on taking wickets and contributing to the team by taking wickets. However, it's always in the back of my mind that when I am bowling deliveries, I need to put pace behind them.
"After a match, I always ask people what the highest speed was but during the match, I am only focused on my bowling."
Yadav's performances have garnered considerable acclaim thus far, with the most recent accolade coming from his outstanding 3/14 display against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Tuesday night.
(With PTI inputs)
