Mayank Markande is one of the hottest topics of discussion in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The young spinner from Punjab, who was picked by the defending champions Mumbai Indians during the players’ auction, has impressed one and all with his outstanding display of leg-spin in the tournament so far.
After Mayank’s dream debut in the IPL against Chennai Super Kings, popular Pakistani sports anchor Zainab Abbas compared him with top leg spinners of the world.
It’s a legspinners world these days – Rashid Khan,Shadab Khan,Yuzvendra Chahal & now Markande from MI.. #MIvCSK
— zainab abbas (@ZAbbasOfficial) April 7, 2018
The cricketer who was not known to many is a sensation after just one night and hence we bring you some of the interesting facts about Mayank Markande:
1.) Mayank was born on November 11 in 1997 in Bathinda and he spent most of his childhood playing street cricket on the streets of Punjab.
2.) He was 16-years-old when he made his Punjab Under-19 debut and was a part of India’s Under-19 squad in 2016.
3.) Mayank took 7 wickets on his Punjab Under-16 debut in 2013-14 and 11 more in his next 2 matches.
4.) He started his career as a pacer and used to bowl the back-of-the-hand slower delivery with great effect. That’s also how you bowl the googly. So, his coach convinced him to switch to leg-spin.
5.) The young leg-spinner idolizes spin wizard, Shane Warne.
6.) He took 5 wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and 10 wickets in the subsequent Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2017/18.
7.) Markande was picked by Mumbai Indians for his base price of Rs 20 lakh in this year’s IPL auction.
8.) Despite 37 missed calls and 300 text messages, the Punjab spinner didn’t believe that he was bought. It was a call from MI’s team manager Rahul Sanghvi that made him believe that he was actually picked.
9.) Markande had played just 6 List A and 4 domestic T20s before making his IPL debut on April 7, 2018.
10.) With 3/23, Markande has the best bowling figures on debut for Mumbai Indians as a spinner and second overall after Lasith Malinga, who has 3/15.
