Following consecutive victories, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper KL Rahul commended Mayank Yadav’s outstanding performance against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), highlighting the searing pace at which he bowled. Rahul humorously expressed a preference for enjoying Mayank’s bowling from behind the stumps rather than facing him as a batsman. LSG secured a convincing 28-run win at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the ongoing IPL 2024 season, propelled by stellar displays from Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, and Mayank.
Mayank’s fiery pace, clocking at 156.7 kph, dismantled RCB’s batting lineup, claiming the wickets of Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, and Cameron Green. His exceptional performances in two consecutive matches played a pivotal role in LSG’s victories. Despite RCB’s chase of 182 seeming achievable, Mayank’s spell of raw pace and precision restricted them, with his season-high speed leaving RCB’s batters bewildered. Rahul praised Mayank’s impact, acknowledging the force of his deliveries firsthand, while also noting Mayank’s previous absence from the LSG team due to injuries.
KL Rahul said: “Yeah one ball hit me really hard but so happy to see Mayank bowl the way he’s been bowling in the last couple of games. He’s quietly patiently waited for two seasons in the dugout, and missed out last year because of injury, unfortunately. But he’s been in Bombay with the physios working really hard.”
“He understands that bowling 155 is not easy and in a young age, he’s had a few injuries. He’s really professional in looking after his body, it’s really good to see and has a great temperament. Enjoying seeing bowl from probably 20 yards behind the stumps, that’s where I’d like to be when he’s bowling.”
“Overall a really good performance. the wicket was a bit tricky and there was some help for the seamers. Quinton got us off to a good start. We were 10-15 runs ahead of what we needed to be. The talk was about using the wicket and not the yorkers. It’s important to stay calm. If I have a look at our record, it speaks differently.”
Mayank’s feat of claiming three-wicket hauls in consecutive matches earned him recognition as the sixth bowler in IPL history to achieve this milestone, marking a remarkable start to his IPL journey with back-to-back Player of the Match awards. LSG, batting first, posted a formidable total of 181/5, led by De Kock’s dynamic 81 off 56 balls. In response, RCB struggled to forge significant partnerships, leading to their defeat by 28 runs.
With two wins in three matches, LSG is set to confront the 2022 champions, Gujarat Titans, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday.
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