IPL 2024 | "I don't take the pressure of expectations": Yash Thakur

Yash Thakur (Pic: X/@LucknowIPL)

Unlike others, Lucknow Super Giants' pacer Yash Thakur likes the burden of expectations. When captain KL Rahul saw the match-winner in him after Mayank Yadav's injury, Thakur got the force he needed to register his first five-wicket haul in IPL.

Thakur received the spotlight after Mayank's side strain, leading him to leave the ground in the IPL 2024 mid-match against Gujarat Titans.

Thakur registered five wickets for 30 runs, including the wicket of opponent captain Shubman Gill. This was the pacer's first five-wicket haul in the league which helped his side beat Gujarat Titans by 33 runs.

For his heroic performance in the IPL 2024 match against GT, Thakur won the "Player of the Match" award.

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"Mayank is an extraordinary player and the speed he generates is. I know my limitations and I know my strength and I only back my strengths," Thakur said of his teammate, who has bowled the fastest delivery of this IPL. Giving an update on Yadav, Thakur said his now famous teammate is doing fine. "Nothing to worry. All good," he said.

Thakur, who wanted to be a wicketkeeper at the beginning of his cricket journey, credited his match-winning haul to the backing of Rahul.

"After Mayank left the field, (KL) Rahul bhai only said that 'may be this is your day, you can win the match for us'. "He said, 'don't think much and keep faith in yourself'. He said, we'll only focus on the controllables and not waste time on external factors like what has happened to whom," he revealed.

"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."

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Thakur said he bowled a few mixed deliveries such as slower ones and bouncers which did not allow the batsmen to settle at the crease.

"We knew that the wicket was slow, so the plan that we discussed, we stuck to it. Even if we got hit for runs, we would stick to it (the plan). KL told us we will get success. "The variations, the slower ones, the bouncers I used, I kept getting success," added Thakur.

Reflecting on the loss, Gujarat Titans all-rounder Vijay Shankar conceded that lack of a collective effort was hurting the Shubman Gill-led side.

Shankar was among the underwhelming performers, managing just 17 in the team's 130-run total while chasing 163.
"Last match we batted really well as a team (against Punjab Kings, scoring 199), this match we bowled really well (to restrict LSG). Sometimes it is just a collective thing.

"When both together if we can bring it up in one game, that's when we'll start winning it. That is what we missed in the last two games," said Shankar during the post-match press conference. "We are trying our best. It's not the end of the road for us; it's a very long tournament," he added.

LSG will now play its next IPL 2024 fixture against Delhi Capitals on April 12.

(With PTI Inputs)