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Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) in match 11 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 on Saturday. LSG won the toss and chose to bat first. Lucknow lost Rahul early, but Quinton De Kock remained calm and scored a good half-century. Later in the innings, Nicholas Pooran and Krunal Pandya scored some quick runs to power LSG to a total of 199.
In response, Punjab Kings were 98-0 in 10 overs, but things changed as soon as debutant Mayank Yadav was introduced into the attack. The young sensation picked up three wickets, and the injury to Liam Livingstone further reduced the chances of Punjab, who eventually fell short 21 runs, losing their second match in a row.
There were some brilliant individual performances, but the one that took the limelight was by Mayank Yadav. The young pacer from LSG accounted for three wickets (Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, and Jitesh Sharma) and conceded only 27 runs in four overs, playing an important role in guiding Lucknow to victory. The right-arm pacer also made headlines for his historic 155.8 kmph delivery, the fastest in IPL 2024.
Mayank showed promise in the first match, and with all eyes on him, it will be interesting to see how he performs in the coming matches. On that note, we will look at the reasons that make Mayan Yadav the LSG’s most important player for IPL 2024.
#1 Mayank Yadav can trouble batters with his sheer pace
LSG pacer Mayank Yadav bowled four overs on the trot against PBKS and took three wickets. Mayank regularly bowled at over 140 kmph deliveries, with the fastest being 155.8. The Punjab batters were seen struggling to hit shots to his bowling.
In middle overs where bowlers try to do variations, Mayank Yadav’s fiery fast-bowling spell was a treat to watch. He troubled batters with his short pitch deliveries, and the way he was hurrying the players with his pace was evident in the wickets of Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma.
#2 He’s not only fast but accurate
With only one match, Mayank Yadav has shown he’s not only fast but also accurate. The LSG pacer bowled very good lines. As we've seen, fast bowlers frequently struggle with getting their line and length correct; however, Mayank Yadav did not seem to have this problem.
The pacer hardly bowled any loose deliveries and was on point through his four-over spell, earning praise from expert and stand-in captain Nicholas Pooran. The way Mayank has bowled in his very first match is a very good sign, not only for LSG but for Indian cricket.
#3 Can team up with Mohsin Khan in death overs
Mayank Yadav bowled superbly in the middle overs to win the match for LSG. However, this young sensation can also be used in death overs, given the skill set he has. Mayank can team up with Mohsin Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq in death overs.
Also, at some point, Shamar Joseph will be seen playing for LSG, and he, along with Mayank, can become a go-to bowler for LSG camp. Mayank can trouble batters with his pace and accuracy and can play a very important role for his franchise in the death overs as well.
