“He’s somebody who will…” Shami praises 156.7 kmph pace sensation Mayank Yadav

Mohammed Shami has lauded the potential of young pace sensation Mayank Yadav. The 21-year-old captured attention with an incredible bowling speed of 156.7 kmph in IPL 2025. And ever since he kept the speed guns busy and forced fans to look at the bowling speed rather than at the scorecard, he has been fast-tracked to Team India. Mayank made his India debut in T20Is. Shami, a key figure in India’s bowling attack, is optimistic about Yadav’s future contributions to Indian cricket, highlighting how this emerging talent could carry the legacy of fast bowling forward.

“The best thing that has happened for Indian cricket is that our pace bowling strength has really gone up. Earlier, we used to have only a few bowlers who used to bowl 140-145 km/h but now even those bowlers who are at the bench are bowling above 145. One of the names that have really impressed me in pace bowling is Mayank Yadav. He is really impressive, he is someone who will carry the baton of Indian pace bowling in the future,” Mohammed Shami said at an event.

Mayank Yadav: The speed merchant

Yadav, whose remarkable speed has made waves in the cricketing community, is a promising addition to India’s lineup. With fast bowlers playing a pivotal role in the team’s success, Mayank Yadav was fast-tracked to the Team India setup. He is likely to board the flight to Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy next month as well. In IPL 2024, he clocked 156.7kmph,

Shami, known for his own pace and swing mastery, acknowledged Yadav’s raw talent and the impact he could have on international cricket if properly nurtured.

“We have worked as a unit since 2014. India never had three bowlers at a time who could bowl over 140kph. Now we have some on the bench who can bowl 145kph. This generation knows how to fight back, and we’ve shown that overseas,” Shami added.

Impact of Yadav’s bowling speed

With the spotlight on Mayank Yadav, it is an exciting time for Team India especially after Umran Malik faded away. Jammu Express Umran made a stunning statement clocking 157.0 kph in IPL 2022. However, since then injuries have curtailed his progress and even though he was fast-tracked to Team India, he was dropped after just 10 ODIs and 8 T20Is.

But the supply chain seems to be unbroken. Mayank Yadav has proven that with his performances for Lucknow Super Giants. Like Umran, Mayank has also made it to India Cricket Team, earlier than other bowlers as he adds speed to India’s arsenal. Shami’s endorsement serves as a significant boost to his career. It provides him the confidence and guidance to refine his skills further.

Fastest balls by Indian bowlers

Road ahead for Mayank Yadav

Even as cricket fans are eagerly waiting to see Mayank Yadav in action in Test cricket, especially in Australia, hoping his raw pace can trouble the Aussies, he will need to be handled carefully. Since his return from injury, Mayank has lost his pace to some extent. In the IND vs BAN T20 series, Mayank clocked a maximum of 148kph, way below his best.

Another injury could make things worse and further drop his speed. For now, like Mohammed Shami, every Indian cricket fan is keeping a close tab on the speedster’s progress.