What Mayank Yadav needs to do to become the fastest Indian bowler in int'l cricket
Mayank Yadav’s selection in India’s 15-member squad for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh has set the cricketing world abuzz with fans from all over the world itching to see our young speedster in action on the international stage.
Though not a certainty, India head coach Gautam Gambhir is expected to hand the 22-year-old a maiden India cap over the course of the series.
The first match is scheduled in Gwalior on Sunday while the next two will be played in New Delhi and Hyderabad on October 9 and 12, respectively.
While there will be considerable interest on how the young Mayank performs, expect a lot of eyeballs on the speedgun as well everytime he picks up the ball.
Mayank impressed with his raw pace during our IPL 2024 season and constantly hit over the 150kmph mark before an unfortunate injury cut his season short after just four matches.
In fact, his fastest delivery, against Royal Challengers Bangalore, maxed out at 156.7kmph, making him the second-fastest Indian bowler in IPL history after Umran Malik, who logged the fastest (157kmph) while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2022.
There’s little doubt that Mayank still has a few more yards in him and fans will be eager to see how fast our dynamic ace can go.
So, can Mayank become the fastest Indian bowler in international cricket? Here are the numbers for you.
The record for the fastest delivery logged by an Indian bowler in international cricket also belongs to Umran Malik, courtesy a 155kmph delivery he bowled against Sri Lanka in Janury 2023.
Malik seemed to have bettered it to 156kmph against the same opponents during an ODI in Guwahati but there are doubts over its legitimacy due to issues with the speedgun.
Irfan Pathan (153.7 kmph), Mohammed Shami (153.3 kmph), Jasprit Bumrah (153.26 kmph), Navdeep Saini (152.85kmph), Ishant Sharma (152.6 kmph) , Umesh Yadav and Varun Aron (152.5kmph) are some of the other Indian bowlers who have crossed the 150kmph barrier in international cricket.
So, matching or beating his 156.7kmph thunderbolt from the IPL will be enough for Mayank to earn the tag of the fastest Insdian bowler in international cricket.
On a more holistic stage, though, Mayank has his work cut out for him.Pakistan ace Shoib Akhtar delivered his fastest ball ever in international cricket with a 161.3 kmph sizzler against England during the ODI World Cup 2003.
Besides Akhtar, Australia’s Brett Lee and Shaun Tait (161.1kmph), Jeff Thompson (160.6kmph) and Mitchell Starc (160.4kmph) are only other players in the 160kmph club in international cricket.
