Mayank Yadav: From His Father’s Tales of Curtly Ambrose to Idolizing Dale Steyn, and Earning the Moniker ‘Helmet Pe Maarne Waale Bowler’ in the Delhi Cricket Circuit

Jonny Bairstow, renowned for his prowess in facing pace bowling across the globe, experienced a jolt on Saturday night. As he attempted to execute a pull shot against a back-of-length delivery from debutant Mayank Yadav, it came at him with astonishing velocity. The outcome was a straightforward catch, setting off a series of wickets, including one at a staggering 155.8 kmph, in a remarkable spell of 3/27 against Punjab Kings. This exceptional performance warmed the heart of Mayank’s father, Prabhu Yadav, transporting him back to a pivotal moment when Mayank was just 14 years old. It was then that Prabhu, an admirer of the West Indian pace legend Curtly Ambrose, instilled a passion for pace bowling in his son.

Yadav Sr. was on his way back from his factory, which specialized in manufacturing sirens for ambulances and police vehicles, when he made a stop at the Sonnet Club near Venkateshwara College in Delhi to watch Mayank bowl. During their journey home, Yadav Sr. imparted a piece of advice that would have significant repercussions years later during an IPL match at Lucknow’s Akana ground.

“I shared with him a story about Ambrose. Do you know why people were afraid of him? Because he used to aim at their heads. If you want to intimidate batsmen, you have to do the same,” Prabhu recalls that pivotal moment to Score Expo.

During his teenage years, Mayank emerged as the most formidable fast bowler in Delhi, earning the moniker “sar pe maarne wala bowler” (the one who hits on the head). On Saturday, as he continued to trouble the batsmen, former pacer Brett Lee took to Twitter, commenting: “India has found its fastest bowler. Raw pace. Very impressive.”

“At the end of the game, Mayank would often express, ‘General life mein bhi mujhe speed pasand hai’ (I am fascinated with speed in life in general). ‘I love rockets, jets, and superbikes. Speed gives me a thrill,'” he would say. The speedster, who had previously clocked 153kmph in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, had caught the attention of selectors for the recent Test series against England. Mayank was expected to recover from his side strain by the end of January. Disappointed by not being able to participate, Mayank shared his sentiments with this newspaper, stating, “Mai ek pair pe khel jata agar mai 60 per cent bhi ready hota” (I would have played on one leg if my body had been even 60 per cent fit).

Mayank’s passion for fast bowling had its origins in a playful taunt from his father at their home in Motinagar, West Delhi, just a few kilometers away from where Virat Kohli grew up. This taunt revolved around two legendary fast bowlers: Ambrose and Dale Steyn. While Yadav Sr. admired the Antiguan, his son favored the South African, Steyn.

“Prabhu Yadav tells Score Expo,”I used to like Ambrose and Walsh a lot, especially Ambrose because of his pace and the way he used to bounce the batsmen. I always used to listen to stories about him.”

“Mayank was a big fan of Dale Steyn and didn’t like watching cricket at home, only when the South African was playing.”

“He used to ask, ‘Was Ambrose as good as Steyn?’ and then we had a little argument between us about who is better, Ambrose or Steyn,” Prabhu Yadav remembers.

Spotted by Rishabh Pant’s coach Tarak Sinha The standout aspect of Yadav’s bowling on his IPL debut was his pace and accuracy. It was difficult for Shikhar Dhawan, who gave him his List A debut for Delhi, to understand him. Mayank’s rise in the game has been quick, as he has never played U-14 and U-16 cricket for Delhi, but late Tarak Sinha, who was also the coach of Rishabh Pant, kept pushing the boy.

“Tarak Sinha had this knack of spotting talent with just a quick glance; whatever happened with Rishabh happened with Mayank,” says Devender Sharma, who now runs the Sonnet Club.

Devender recalls how ahead of Mayank’s U-19 trials for Delhi in 2020, Tarak Sinha was upset with Mayank as he had declined the offer from Services to play him in their team. “He was not able to make it into the Delhi side, and Services was offering him a job and a promise that he would get to play in all three formats, but Mayank didn’t take the offer,” says Devender.

But Mayank promised the coach that he would achieve success from Delhi. Unfortunately, Sinha passed away in November 2021 during the second wave of Covid, and a month later, Mayank made his Delhi debut in the Vijay Hazare Trophy at Sector 16 Stadium in Chandigarh. When 12 runs were needed off the last two overs, Yadav bowled a maiden in the 49th over to seal the game.

“The Services guys informed me that I was selected. I was not even giving my 50 percent, but three or four bouncers I bowled, they were impressed. But I wanted to play for Delhi. Sir, I am a Delhi boy and I wanted to play for Delhi,” Mayank recalls.

In a post-game interview, Mayank acknowledged the need to enhance his fitness. “In the past two years, I have suffered from three major injuries. I missed the IPL last year due to injury and also missed the Ranji Trophy this year. I need to work on that,” he admitted. If he manages to stay injury-free, it won’t be long before Ambrose and Steyn take notice and sing his praises.