Delhi: In Mayank Yadav's case, the discussion immediately turned to ball speed and fitness. During IPL 2024, between March 30 and April 7, there was only discussion about ball speed and Mayank Yadav's name was echoing not only in IPL but in the world of cricket. It is no joke to bowl many balls at a speed of 150+ km per hour in his 4 overs. This panic started from the match against Punjab Kings in IPL debut and the record was 4-0-27-3 while in the next match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, it was 4-0-11-3 and the fastest ball was 156+ kmph. It was fast. Stories were being published everywhere about Mayank becoming such a fast bowler. The fastest ball was at a speed of 156.7 km per hour and after this Mayank was named 'Child of the Wind'.

Therefore, similar wonders were awaited against Gujarat Titans at Ekana Stadium. Lucknow Super Giants had to defend 164 runs and all the hopes were pinned on Mayank like in the last two matches, but what? Bowled one over and that too without even a semblance of the previous pace and line (barely clocked 140+ kmph and conceded 13 runs) – and after that he was out of the ground and not only took no further part in the match , unfit to continue further. The current situation is that he is expected to make a comeback in the match against Chennai on 19th April. No one knows whether he will actually make a comeback that day and how fit he will be for the next season's matches.

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Kapil Dev never reported 'not fit for Test' in his career of more than 100 Tests and Mayank Yadav faced this predicament in the third IPL match or rather 9 overs. It is true that cricket has changed and it would not be right to compare with Kapil Paji's record, but how can one digest such poor fitness? He is not even 22 years old and has a career of only 1 first class match, 17 List A and 13 T20 matches – still this condition? There was a discussion going on that send such a fast bowler to play in the T20 World Cup, book his seat in the flight for the Test series in Australia later this year and after his fitness, his name will be supported. The graph took a sharp dive.

Although Mayank had walked out of the ground (pointing towards his calf) after his sensational spell in Bengaluru on April 2, he did not know that it was due to him being unfit for a long time. He is currently under contract with an IPL team, so his better medical care is the responsibility of the IPL team and he reports that he felt pain in the lower abdomen (later said – slight swelling in the upper part of the hip) and as a precaution Started workload management. The issue here is not about playing IPL matches ahead of Mayank – everyone in the cricket world has agreed that there are no bowlers who can consistently clock speeds of 150+ kmph, hence Indian cricket will have to take care of its new 'hot property'.

How – There is neither any policy regarding this nor BCCI is so fast that it breaks every protocol and immediately takes Mayank's case in its hands. Team India needs Mayank's long and better cricket career more than IPL. Australia's Shane Watson, even before this poor fitness of Mayank, considering the haste of his promotion in India, had said that it would be a big mistake to take him in Tests from now on – no one can play 15-20 overs in a day in Tests. There are no jokes and no one knows whether Mayank's body is capable of reaching this limit? If a young bowler doesn't have that much power then who else will, but the fear that Watson had seemed to be proved right in the IPL itself.

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So what can we do to save this hot property for Indian cricket? Similar expectations were also placed on people like Varun Aaron, Umesh Yadav and Umran Malik. None of them had a 'great' career – but what they could not do for Umran and Umesh, they could do for Mayank. If BCCI really considers Mayank in the race for Team India, then without any delay, include him in the newly started 'Fast Bowler Contract' so that a better plan can be made for the better fitness of Mayank in the NCA of Alur and the staff there. Under the supervision of Mayank complete that schedule.

In an interview, Mayank mentioned the inspiration he got from a statement by Ratan Tata which changed his life. In it Ratan Tata had said- 'I do not believe in taking the right decision, I take the decision and then make it right.' Such action is needed to put Mayank's career on a healthy line.

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