Yash Thakur seizes his opportunity with both hands

This IPL has been a lot about Mayank Yadav hogging the headlines with his fiery speeds and menacing hard lengths. But in the game against Gujarat Titans, not only was he unusually brought on in the powerplay but also ended up conceding a few boundaries while barely bowling over 140 clicks. He walked off the field with a side strain and ended up bowling just the one over.

The stage was then set for a new hero and Yash Thakur wasted little time in grabbing the opportunity. The 25-year-old registered his maiden five-wicket haul in the IPL to slice through the Titans batting line-up.

Thakur may not be scary in terms of his pace but his ability to mix up lengths and pace is impressive. He is probably the support cast in this bowling attack with Mayank being the enforcer but the Vidarbha pacer didn't appear to be bothered at being the understated resource.

"Once Mayank went, Rahul sir told me that this could be my day and that I could win the game for the side. He told me to back myself and told me to back the controllables instead of worrying about what I can't control," said Thakur at the post-match press conference.

"Very few can bowl at the speeds that he (Mayank) does, it is a God-given gift. I know my limitations and my strengths. I just back my strengths.

"My focus this season is to have clarity in my plans. I've tried to keep things simple instead of thinking too many things at a time. I've tried to only focus on the things that I can control."

Since their entry in the 2022 season, LSG have been known for their knack of defending totals, even when the scores aren't very high. Like was the case in this fixture. KL Rahul's men had gotten to 163, which seemed about 10-15 runs short of a winning total on what was a sporting surface at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. When Titans got off to a flying start in the PowerPlay, the pressure was solely on the Super Giants whose fightback started when Thakur castled Shubman Gill off the final ball of the sixth over. It started a dramatic collapse from which the visitors could never recover.

"We felt that the pitch was on the slower side and possibly getting slower through the game. We discussed our plans and the idea was to stick to it even if runs were being scored off it. We were getting success from our variations and his (Rahul) advice was to persist with it," Thakur said.

The start to the season for Thakur wasn't ideal as he got on the receiving end of a bustling partnership between Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag in Jaipur. There was also a certain level of rustiness in his bowling for which he paid the price through an expensive spell. Consequently, he missed the next game against Punjab Kings which marked Mayank's debut, but has since been part of the XI in the next two games. If the game against RCB in Bengaluru saw Thakur gaining in confidence, he was at his best in Lucknow against the Titans.

Lucknow Super Giants' pool of domestic pacers is the envy of all the other teams in the IPL. If it was Mohsin Khan and Avesh Khan last year, time is ripe for Mayank Yadav and Yash Thakur to rule the roost this season. Not to forget that they have Yudhvir Singh Charak (who was also unleashed last year), Arshad Khan and Arshin Kulkarni in the squad.

Given the ensemble of domestic fast bowlers in the squad, Thakur knows that the competition is rife for a spot in the playing XI. Given that Mohsin isn't far off from full recovery, the jostling is set to get to another level. However, Thakur appeared relaxed and easy going in his response when asked about the possibility of being in and out of the side even with performances like these.

"When the tournament started, I played the first game. What the captain and coach feels regarding the best possible combination is what it is. They'd know what is best for the team. So it doesn't matter if I'm playing or someone else is in my place. Eventually, the team must win games and the tournament. So the most suitable XI must play.

"I don't take the pressure of expectations as a concern. Rather I'm happy when people outside or my team expects me to win games. I enjoy this responsibility of winning games for the team."