THERE'S a real buzz whenever the Indian T20I side plays because of the players at their disposal. Sure, you expect the world champions to always carry with them an aura wherever they go, but this aura isn't just because they won the World Cup in March. This aura is because of the potential in the likes of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ashok Sharma.
While the former is a 15-year-old with absurd batting talent, the latter is another bowler capable of hurling 150kph-plus rocks from a distance of 22 yards. On Thursday, Sharma made his India bow against Zimbabwe in the first T20I at Harare. As expected, he hurried batters and was quick even if he leaked a fair few.
And, then, there is Mayank Yadav, the OG among the new-age pace sensations. When he announced himself on TV screens during a whirlwind spell in an Indian Premier League game for Lucknow Super Giants against Punjab Kings in 2024, it was a mind-bending experience that Indian fans weren't always accustomed to. Who was this 21-year-old pace kid, bowling over 155 clicks and troubling overseas batters with high end heat?
A demand to immediately cap him saw him play a series against Bangladesh that October. But, alas, injuries kept him out of the India colours. Till Thursday.
Against Zimbabwe, he was as good as new as he made the hosts hop, skip and jump with some deliveries registering over 145 kph on the speed gun. He was on the money right from the opening delivery, when a perfect Test match delivery, pitched in that in-between line before seaming away. Brian Bennett, who sparkled for them against India at the World Cup, could only manage an outside edge and was dismissed for a first ball zero. His first act in an India jersey after being away for it since October 2024 had already exceeded expectations. Over the rest of his spell, he found his radar and his pace was consistently between 135 and 145.
Viewed through the prism of a T20I bilateral, this series doesn't have a lot riding on it. But zoom out and Mayank's potential and future importance becomes evident. The next T20 World Cup will be held in conditions (Australia and New Zealand) where pacers will play a key role. It's why the next two years will be critical for the 24-year-old's development.
Of course, it isn't going to be as easy as that. For starters, they will have to manage him judiciously. A stress fracture in the back, ankle lay-off, an hamstring injury, even a bizarre toe injury... think of an organ and he has probably had the surgeon's scalpel on that area sometime over the last two years. It's why caution has to be the way forward.
That was visible during his post-match press conference. "It was very difficult," the seamer said. "The two-year gap was very challenging for me as a person... I was only 22-23 years old at that time, so that always affected me that I had to go through so much at such a young age.
"... When you're injured and in that phase, mental strength makes a huge difference for any player," he said about the time he was forced to miss games. "So, I think more than physically, for me, mentally I got much better and I knew my body a lot after the surgery and after the rehab. So, it makes a huge difference for me."
It will make a big difference for India if the Delhi pacer is able to remain healthy. For he will be a frame of reference.
