NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal commended Mayank Yadav, the young speedster from Delhi, for his outstanding performance in his T20I debut against Bangladesh at Gwalior.
The Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium provided the perfect platform for Mayank to showcase his blistering pace against a formidable Bangladeshi batting lineup.
The 22-year-old, who dazzled the opposition with his blistering pace, clocking 156.7 kph, displayed promising signs of returning to his peak form after a lengthy injury layoff.
Mayank’s impressive display of speed variations left the Bangladeshi batsmen struggling to score runs throughout his four-over spell. Akmal was effusive in his praise for the young debutant, who etched his name in the record books with a memorable T20I debut for India.
“Mayank Yadav came back with fitness and bowled a maiden over in his debut. Mayank Yadav is the excitement in this series. He was the talk of the town during the Indian Premier League. India’s medical panel is brilliant. The way Mayank bowled what a brilliant debut (Kya zabardast debut kiya hai),” Kamran said on his YouTube channel.
On a Sunday night, Mayank left the Bangladesh batters puzzled as they struggled to decipher his true potential. During his first over, Towhid Hridoy failed to score a single run, making Mayank just the third Indian bowler to bowl a maiden in his debut over in T20I cricket.
Before him, Ajit Agarkar and Arshdeep Singh had entered this exclusive club. Agarkar became the first Indian to achieve the feat in 2006 during a match against South Africa in Joburg, while Arshdeep followed suit in 2022 against England in Southampton.
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav handed Mayank the ball to bowl the final over of the powerplay, and he unleashed thunderous deliveries, capping it off with a maiden over. In his second over, Mayank clocked his fastest delivery of the night at 149.9 kph, which bamboozled Bangladesh’s seasoned all-rounder Mahmudullah, earning Mayank his first T20I wicket.
The sheer pace was enough to unsettle Mahmudullah, who shuffled around the crease and attempted to slice the ball, only to loft it straight into the hands of Washington Sundar at deep point. Mayank wrapped up his impressive debut with figures of 1/21.