Following his side's 33-run victory over Gujarat Titans (GT), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) all-rounder Krunal Pandya clarified that the team's pace sensation Mayank Yadav "appeared alright" after he left the field during the match.
During LSG's triumph over GT, there was considerable anticipation among fans regarding Mayank's bowling, as they were impressed with the bowler's pace, line, and length.
He consistently reached speeds of 150 kmph. However, in the GT encounter, Mayank seemed slightly off, struggling to reach 140 kmph and conceding three boundaries. After completing his solitary over, Mayank departed from the field.
Following the match, Krunal said, "I do not know what is happening but I did have a brief couple of seconds' chat - he seemed okay, which was quite a relief for us."
Krunal also praised the pacer, calling him a "bright prospect" with a "good head on his shoulders".
"A bright prospect, I had been watching him from the last two years. He used to bowl gun in the nets. Last year, unfortunately, missed it [due to injury]. But again, whatever conversation I have had, what I see is that he has a good head on his shoulders as well," he said.
Within just two matches, Mayank has gathered headlines for his sheer pace, touching the bowling speeds of 150 mph-plus consistently. During the match against RCB, Yadav bagged three wickets in his four-over spell, giving only 14 runs. Following his remarkable spell, the pacer was named the 'Player of the Match'.
The LSG seamer scripted history at the age of 21 as he became the first bowler in the history of IPL to win the 'Player of the Match' award in their first two matches.
He clocked 156.7 kph during the game against RCB and bowled the fastest delivery in the ongoing edition and overall the fourth fastest in the history of the entire tournament, breaking his own record made during the Punjab Kings match which was his debut, where he clocked 155.8 kmph. During his debut game, he took 3/27 in four overs.
It is not just Mayank's pace that has many terming him as the next big Indian pace prospect, it is also the control over his line and length and intimidation that he has produced in a matter of a couple of matches which stands out.