Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes has reserved big praise for uncapped Indian pacer Mayank Yadav by calling him the Rolls Royce of the Lucknow Super Giants. Rhodes, who has been associated with the Lucknow-based franchise in the IPL as fielding coach, has worked closely with Mayank in the cash-rich league earlier this year.
The Delhi-based pacer was signed by LSG for Rs 20 lakh in the IPL 2023 auction, but he missed the first season due to injury. He made his IPL debut this year against the Punjab Kings and caught everyone’s attention with his raw pace. He was, however, only able to play four matches in the IPL 2024 before being ruled out of the tournament due to injury.
But in his limited appearances, Mayank made headlines and caught everyone’s attention. According to Rhodes, Mayank is extremely talented, and that’s why LSG stuck with him despite his fitness-related issues.
“I’m not a bowling coach, but Morne Morkel, during the previous season, when Mayank got injured at the start of the preparation, literally said, ‘Wow, this guy (Mayank Yadav), he’s like the Rolls Royce of bowlers, similar to how we used to call Allan Donald a Rolls Royce. He is LSG’s Rolls Royce.”
“He had a whole season with the team, and that’s why the owners decided to keep him with the team; he did all his rehab throughout the IPL and stayed a part of the unit because we really believe that he is a young guy with extreme talent, and we saw him in the games that he played, and everybody was really monitoring him, not wrapping him in cotton wool,” Rhodes told IANS.
Rhodes, who is arguably the greatest fielder of all time, said Mayank is a raw talent, and he hopes that the youngster will remain fit for a complete season next year.
“But monitoring his workload and understanding that he is a guy that doesn’t need to bowl 30 minutes every day in the nets, he just needs to top-up to make sure that he, from a mental and emotional point of view, feels that he’s ready because he is a raw talent. We saw what happened with Umran Malik, who burst onto the scene at sheer pace. We all got excited, but you know the question is, can the player bowl to the game plan? That’s because they’re bowling some of the best batters in the world and sometimes on really good surfaces, so if you’ve just got pace and you can’t bowl in good areas or with good skill, the better players will hit you out the ground,” said Rhodes.
“So, I think from a point of view where LSG haven’t worried about, or haven’t gone, let’s wrap him in cotton wool, because then he comes to the game, you never know what’s going to happen. But the preparation is key and hopefully, you know, through the season when the off season and now the season again by the time he comes to IPL, and if he’s playing with LSG again or even if he’s not playing for LSG, I just hope Mayank is bowling and is fit for the whole IPL because there’s a talent that is exciting,” he concluded.
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