IPL 2024: LSG's Mayank Yadav bowls fastest delivery of the season at 156.7 kmph

Bengaluru, April 2 (IANS) Lucknow Super Giants' young tearaway pacer Mayank Yadav cranked up the speed gun once again, bowling the fastest delivery of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 measured at 156.7 kmph, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old Yadav had on Saturday breached the 150kmph mark nine times at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium and bowled an absolute scorcher captured by the speed gun at 155.8 kph -- the fastest delivery in the ongoing season.

On Tuesday, he was at it again as the right-handed pacer raised the bar once again.

Yadav, a product of Sonnet Club of Delhi, touched 156.7 kmph against Cameron Green in Tuesday's clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

It is also the tournament’s fifth fastest ball, which is second only to SRH’s Umran Malik in terms of Indian bowlers. Malik has bowled 157 kmph in IPL 2022 and had also sent down a 156 kph delivery.

Overall, Shaun Tait had bowled the fastest-ever delivery in IPL so far, a lightning-fast 157.7 kmph ball in 2011. Lockie Ferguson is second with a 157.3 kmph delivery in 2022. Gerald Coetzee is credited with bowling a 157.4 delivery for Mumbai Indians against Rajasthan Royals, but it was reportedly a technical error.

Yadav's exploits on Tuesday caused a stir on social media with several current and former cricketers taking note of the scorching deliveries bowled by the LSG pacer.

"Tezzzzz aur toooofaaannnniiiii. What speed #MayankYadav," wrote India batter Suryakumar Yadav, who is out of action in IPL 2024 because of a surgery he underwent a few weeks back. Dale Steyn, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ian Hishop and Akash Chopra wrote about his achievement on X, formerly Twitter.

Yadav has now bowled the fastest delivery of this season at 156.7 with Nandre Burger second at 153.0 followed by Gerald Coetzee at third with 152.3.

Yadav started with a 151kph delivery in his first over. Glenn Maxwell was stunned by the pace and managed an easy lob to Nicholas Pooran at mid-on.

In his next over, Yadav ripped out Cameron Green, another big-hitting Australian, bowling him with a peach of the delivery. After pushing back Cameron Green with a short ball, the LSG pacer followed it up with a full one that angled in and straightened late to hit the top of the off stump.

He returned to claim Rajat Patidar's wicket off a top edge that went up high in the air. He nearly got his fourth wicket of the night when he beat Dinesh Karthik for pace, but DRS ruled that the ball was going over the stumps. Yadav ended his quota with a sensational 3-14 in four overs, his second three-fer in his second match.