Najmul Hossain Shanto shockingly compares Mayank Yadav to Bangladesh net bowlers

India's fast-bowling sensation, Mayank Yadav, made a stunning debut in international cricket during the first T20I against Bangladesh, lighting up the speed guns with deliveries close to 150 km/h at the new Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium in Gwalior.

Mayank Yadav’s raw pace and bounce left the Bangladesh batters on the back foot, but what truly stood out was his control over his lengths, as he consistently bowled short yet prevented batters from capitalizing with horizontal-bat shots in the first T20I on October 6.

Mayank Yadav’s speed dazzles but Najmul Hossain Shanto shrugs off the threat

The 22-year-old pacer kicked off his international career in style, delivering a maiden over right at the start followed by a key breakthrough, dismissing veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Mahmudullah in his very next over.

His fiery spell hinted that the Bangladesh batters faced tough times against him. Despite this, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is unfazed, saying his batters are regularly practicing against fast bowlers like Mayank in the nets.

However, the fact is that the current Bangladesh squad doesn’t have many express pacers apart from Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana, who consistently hits the 140+ km/h mark, but Najmul Hossain Shanto claims to have experience facing high-speed deliveries.

The Bangladesh captain has insisted that Bangladesh have pacers of the same caliber as Mayank at the nets, and they are not too worried about facing the young Indian gun. However, Shanto acknowledged the talent Mayank has but downplayed his being a big threat to the Tigers.

We have some similar fast bowlers in the nets: Najmul Hossain Shanto on Mayank Yadav

Najmul Hossain Shanto said at the post-match press conference after India won the first T20I by seven wickets in Gwalior: “We have some similar fast bowlers in the nets. I don’t think we were too worried about Mayank Yadav. But he is a good bowler.”

Bangladesh captain believes that the nature of pitches in Bangladesh doesn't favor high-scoring T20 matches, which has impacted the overall batting performance of the team. He openly acknowledged that the team struggles with consistently putting up scores of 180 or more in T20I cricket.

Najmul Hossain Shanto signed off by saying, “We have the ability, but we have room for improvement in our skills. We have been batting in this way for the last 10 years. Sometimes we do well. We have to make some changes, perhaps where we practice back home.”

Mayank Yadav shines on India debut

Mayank conceded a few boundaries later in his spell on India debut, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Rishad Hossain capitalizing on his pace to guide balls to the third-man region, but the debutant pacer’s overall performance was impressive.

In his four overs, the right-arm pacer conceded just 21 runs and claimed a wicket. Mayank had made waves during IPL 2024, where he regularly bowled at 150 km/h for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). However, a side strain ruled him out of the last season.

He underwent a lengthy recovery process under the watchful eye of the BCCI’s medical team at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and made a long-awaited return to competitive cricket for the first time in Gwalior after five months.