‘Bowl fast’: Gautam Gambhir’s blunt message as Mayank Yadav rediscovers his fearsome pace

INDORE: Mayank Yadav cranked up some serious pace on Friday night, letting the ball fly and rattling the West Indies top order.While no one in India's think tank is jumping out of their seat to hail him just yet, there will be quiet satisfaction over what the Delhi pacer produced in Ranchi. His spell of 3/36, with all three wickets coming in the Powerplay, has boosted India's hopes of finding an express pacer who can make an impact with the new ball and be a handful in overseas conditions.The challenge, though, is to keep him match-ready and ensure his body does not break down.It has been a painful journey for Mayank, who first made his mark during the 2024 IPL with Lucknow Super Giants, consistently clocking speeds in excess of 150 kmph. The tearaway speedster played just four matches that season, but it was enough to convince the selectors that he needed to be fast-tracked into the national set-up. By Oct 2024, he had made his India T20I debut against Bangladesh.However, a fragile body meant Mayank kept getting injured and spent the next two years in rehabilitation, recovering from a range of injuries including a lumbar stress fracture, lower-back spasms and a hamstring tear. The 24-year-old played just seven competitive matches during that period, six of them in the IPL.But the Indian team management knew they had unearthed a rare talent that needed careful handling, and that is precisely what they did, getting him back in shape at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru under the watchful eye of VVS Laxman.Mayank returned during the 2026 IPL but largely endured a quiet campaign. He made his India comeback during the Zimbabwe series in July this year and marked his return with a Player of the Match performance, claiming 2/18 in his first outing.What kept the fire burning was the desire to wear the India jersey again. Reflecting on his comeback in Harare in July, Mayank had said: "It was very difficult, especially the gap of two years. That was a challenge. I was just 22-23. I often wondered why I had to suffer so much at such a young age. At the same time, the motivation to play for the country was always there. So I wanted to make a comeback and perform as I did before."Mayank had a sedate outing in the first T20I in Lucknow and was down on pace, leaving many wondering whether he would ever get back to his old self. Perhaps self-doubt and the fear of breaking down again played a part. But in the second T20I, he was ready.Skipper Shreyas Iyer handed him the new ball, and Mayank delivered. More importantly, the pace was back. He rushed Kamil Pooran with a 143 kmph short delivery. On the very next ball, a 144 kmph delivery jagged back sharply to castle Shimron Hetmyer. Then, in the final over of the Powerplay, he cleaned up Rovman Powell with a snorter clocked at 149.5 kmph.After the match, coach Gautam Gambhir did not mince his words when asked about Yadav's performance. His message was simple: "bowl fast."Mayank has three more matches left in this series to get his body accustomed to the rigours of international cricket and stake a claim for a permanent spot in the playing XI when India leave for the five-match T20I series in New Zealand.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.