Mayank Yadav looked at his threatening best in Zimbabwe. Image Credits: AP
In Zimbabwe, it only took one ball for Mayank Yadav to show what India, and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to an extent, missed in the last couple of years. A trademark back-of-a-length delivery in the channel at 149 km/h that jagged away sharply after pitching, taking Brian Bennett’s outside edge before he could even move his feet.
It was not only a perfect start for India and Mayank Yadav, but also a sign of relief for both. After two years and multiple injuries, there were finally some positive signs for India amid a fitness crisis, that too from one of their most frustrating projects.
Mayank Yadav flexes his attributes in Zimbabwe
Mayank Yadav's pace distribution in Zimbabwe
Mayank Yadav is more than just sheer pace. When at his peak, he can burst through the crease to generate extra bounce from hard lengths and late movement off the deck. Combine that with his high pace, and even an Australian batter like Cameron Green was bowled through the gate.
In Harare, when the pacer finally returned in India colours after two years, he seemed to have picked up where he left off. After dismissing Bennett on the first delivery, Mayank went on to bully Dion Myers with his relentless length and pace on a pitch offering some early movement.
Eventually, he finished with two wickets for 18 runs in his four-over spell, including three wickets in a row. Around 72% of his deliveries exceeded 140 km/h during the first T20I, and both his wickets were taken at high speed.
More importantly, Mayank didn’t crumble after a fiery spell and went on to play two T20Is on consecutive days after just a one-day break. His pace illustrated his improved fitness levels after countless days on the sidelines.
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According to Cricbuzz, Mayank Yadav bowled 54.54% of his balls over 140 km/h, which fetched him three wickets at nine runs apiece across the series. Sure, his pace was a tad down in the second game, but it might just be precautionary given the short turnaround between games. He upped his speed again in the final fixture.
He ended up with five scalps at an average of 14.40 and an economy rate of 6.54 in three innings. No other speedster took as many wickets as Mayank in the rubber.
The immaculate lengths
During the T20I series, Mayank Yadav also settled into his natural lengths and extracted substantial movement off the surface. Back-of-a-length deliveries between 8 and 10 metres accounted for 42.64% of his bowling, producing three wickets at an average of 8.66 and an economy rate of 5.57.
Another 29.41% of his balls were shorter than 10 meters. They fetched him a solitary wicket, and Mayank conceded 6.30 runs per over.
Mayank Yadav was relentless with shorter lengths
Collectively, 72.05% of Mayank Yadav’s deliveries were shorter than 8 metres, the highest proportion among all pacers from either side. Blessing Muzarabani followed with 63.88%, taking one wicket from such deliveries while conceding 5.48 runs per over.
Batters played 70.58% of deliveries against him from the back foot, by backing away or otherwise moving back, the second-highest figure among pacers. He took three of his five wickets from such deliveries, conceding only 6.13 runs per over.
Only Muzarabani pushed batters back more often, with 72.22% of his deliveries played from the back foot. Those deliveries produced two wickets at an average of 26.50 and an economy rate of 6.12.
However, it is worth noting that Muzarabani is significantly taller than Mayank and naturally generates more bounce, which can force batters onto the back foot even against slightly fuller lengths.
Mayank Yadav targeted the body line against LHBs
All in all, Mayank Yadav offered glimpses of a gradual return to his best, in terms of pace and lengths, during the Zimbabwe series. That alone is a significant boost for India, given how well his attributes fit into what they are preparing for.
Mayank Yadav needs to be preserved for T20 World Cup 2028
Again, there will be a temptation to draft Mayank into ODIs, especially with a World Cup in South Africa. However, India need to resist that temptation for now and restrict him to T20Is while gradually increasing his workload.
The priority should be to keep him fit for the T20 World Cup 2028 in Australia, where his attributes could be an ideal fit. The quicker decks and extra bounce should make him more threatening than most other pacers.
For now, that could mean limiting Mayank to white-ball domestic competitions, the IPL and T20Is, with regular rest and careful workload management in between. After everything he has gone through over the last couple of years, India cannot afford another setback.
Mayank has worked on his action, and the Zimbabwe series was a reminder that he is unwilling to compromise his pace to stay injury-free. That is precisely what India need Down Under.
Their over-reliance on Jasprit Bumrah has been palpable in recent times, and having a few out-and-out speedsters available ahead of overseas ICC events would provide the Men in Blue another dimension.
If Mayank stays fit, India will have an enforcer for the middle overs, where his high pace and hard lengths can complement the spinners. That, in turn, would allow them to use Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh more in the powerplay and at the death, making the pace attack more dynamic.
Bringing Mayank into the 50-over setup too soon could increase his injury risk, something India simply cannot afford at this stage.
Another setback could also affect his rhythm and pace in the long run. Even in T20Is, India need specialist seamers who can operate in tandem on unforgiving pitches, allowing the main pacers, including Arshdeep, to be rested and rotated.
In that sense, Mayank Yadav should be viewed as a project for the next T20 World Cup. Keep him fit, keep him firing, and, if necessary, keep him away from other formats to get him there.
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