IPL's fast bowling stars set for India audition vs Bangladesh

India are set to play Bangladesh in a 3-match T20I series. The series will help India test out at least two of its latest Indian Premier League sensations.

In Short

• India are playing Bangladesh in a 3-match T20I series
• India have called up multiple IPL stars
• Mayank Yadav and Harshit Rana are primed to debut in Gwalior

On 30 March 2024, Shikhar Dhawan was batting in his vintage style, well in control of a chase against Lucknow in the Indian Premier League 2024. Dhawan, an old workhorse of Indian cricket was out to prove his critics wrong that he was finished in the T20 format. Chasing 200 runs against LSG, all was going well for Dhawan till the 10th over of the game when KL Rahul introduced Mayank Yadav into the attack.

The unknown pacer, fast-tracked from New Delhi, was brought to LSG by Gautam Gambhir in 2023. However, due to consistent injuries, Mayank had not been able to make his debut in the IPL till 2024.

When Mayank came out to bowl against Dhawan, the batter had already hit his fifty in 33 balls, well in control of the chase. In fact, Dhawan clipped Mayank's first ball for four through the leg side, marking his territory against the pacer.

The story, however, was set to change. After giving away 10 runs in his first over, Mayank made a thundering comeback. The LSG pacer consistently hit the 155 KMPH mark in the match, terrorising the Punjab Kings batters. Mayank's pace mixed with the support of Mohsin Khan forced an epic downfall in the PBKS side, and they were restricted to 178/5, losing the match by 22 runs.

IPL 2024, LSG vs PBKS: Match Report

And what of Dhawan? Since hitting that boundary, Dhawan looked uncomfortable against the pace of Mayank Yadav, which increased with every ball. Dhawan, a seasoned batter tried to back away from Mayank's thunderbolts but was consistently beaten by pace.

The legendary left-hander played only 2 matches in the IPL after that and announced his retirement from international cricket after the conclusion of the tournament.

India's Rising Pacers

The story of Mayank vs Dhawan is perhaps the best anecdote of what India is bringing to the table in the 3-match T20I series against Bangladesh. Fiery pacers who are not afraid to get face-to-face against any batters in the world. Alongside Mayank, there is another Delhi pacer - Harshit Rana, who scalped 19 wickets for KKR in IPL 2024.

Rana, who consistently bowls above 145ks, has been praised for his intelligence with the ball. On the other hand, Rana has also been rapped for his attitude on the field by the IPL officials, who cut off his 100 per cent match fees for aggressively celebrating his wickets against opposition players.

India's Fast Bowling Revolution

What was started by Virat Kohli, has been well and truly carried forward by the Indian Premier League and its franchises. In terms of fast bowling depth, India are perhaps one of the greatest countries in the game right now. Take for example Umran Malik, once touted to be the next big thing, who does not find himself anywhere near the contention of his IPL franchise, let alone the Indian team.

IND vs BAN, 1st T20I: Match Preview

India are expected to debut both Harshit Rana and Mayank Yadav in the 3-match series. Alongside those two, India are also expected to hand out a debut to Nitish Kumar Reddy - a genuine all-rounder who can consistently hit speeds between 135-140ks.

While the Indian team is expected to dominate the competition against Bangladesh, the focus will be on the uncapped Indian stars on how they shape up and take care of their bodies under the pressure of international cricket. If they do well, it will add to India's options in Test cricket ahead of the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

India's T20I Squad vs Bangladesh

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Riyan Parag, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy, Nitish Reddy, Harshit Rana