Bengaluru: Lucknow Super Giants' young tearaway pacer Mayank Yadav cranked up the speed gun once again, bowling the fastest delivery of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 measured at 156.7 kmph, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old Mayanka had on Saturday breached the 150kmph mark nine times at the Ekana Cricket Stadium and bowled an absolute scorcher captured by the speed gun at 155.8 kph -- the fastest delivery in the ongoing season.
On Tuesday, he was at it again as the right-arm pacer raised the bar once again.
Mayank, a product of Sonnet Club of Delhi, touched 156.7 kmph against Cameron Green in Tuesday's clash against RCB.
It is also the tournament’s fifth fastest ball, which is second only to SRH’s Umran Malik in terms of Indian bowlers. Umran bowled 157 kmph in IPL 2022 and had also sent down a 156 kph delivery.
Overall, Shaun Tait has bowled the fastest-ever delivery in IPL history so far, a lightning-fast 157.7 kmph ball in 2011. Lockie Ferguson is second with a 157.3 kmph delivery in 2022. Gerald Coetzee is credited with bowling a 157.4 delivery for Mumbai Indians against Rajasthan Royals, but it was reportedly a technical error.
Mayank's exploits on Tuesday caused a stir on social media with several current and former cricketers taking note of the scorching deliveries bowled by the LSG pacer.
"Tezzzzz aur toooofaaannnniiiii. What speed #MayankYadav," wrote Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav, who is out of action in IPL 2024 because of a surgery he underwent a few weeks back. Dale Steyn, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ian Hishop and Akash Chopra wrote about his achievement on X.
Mayank started with a 151kph delivery in his first over. Glenn Maxwell was stunned by the pace and managed an easy lob to Nicholas Pooran at mid-on.
In his next over, Mayank ripped out Green, another big-hitting Australian, bowling him with a peach of a delivery. After pushing back Green with a short ball, Mayank followed it up with a full one that angled in and straightened late to hit the top of the off stump.
He returned to claim Rajat Patidar's wicket off a top edge. He nearly got his fourth wicket of the night when he beat Dinesh Karthik for pace, but DRS ruled that the ball was going over the stumps. Mayank ended his quota with a sensational 3/14 in four overs, his second three-fer in just his second IPL match.
