The young Mumbai Indians (MI) leg spinner, Mayank Markande was 10-year-old when this coveted Indian Premier League (IPL) started its journey ten years back, in 2008.
Meanwhile, it was a dream journey for the spinner so far in the Twenty20 league. Mumbai snared him up for INR 20 lakh at the auction in January, this year.
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Now three months later, he is the Purple Cap winner with seven wickets from two games. Although Rohit Sharma-led side lost both their matches, he has made a significant contribution so far.
The cunning bowler in the form of Markande came to notice in the opening game when he trapped Mahendra Singh Dhoni with a googly that skidded through. Dhoni misjudged the line and played for the wrong line. His list also included Ambati Rayudu and Deepak Chahar.
Four days later, Rohit brought him right after the powerplay in an attempt to defend 147 runs.
Sunrisers Hyderabad were off to a flying start, however, Markande drew first blood when he removed wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha with a quickish googly.
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Moreover, he then dismissed the dangerous Shikhar Dhawan and in his next over sent Manish Pandey back to the dugout.
On his last ball of the spell, Markande outplayed Shakib Al Hasan – to shift the tide of the game.
Meanwhile, batsmen will start reading his delivery and analyst will start figuring out, but he has already created a long-lasting impact.
With wrist spinner dominating the international scene, India has found another jewel. Virat Kohli’s spinning duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav also made a mark in the IPL.
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If Markande sticks to his wicket-taking spree, he will also be in line to represent India at the highest level.
Mayank Markande is still young and he has only played two matches. But he is brave and is not scared to get hit and try his variations to bamboozle batsmen.
Meanwhile, he has played only four Twenty20 matches and made his List A debut a month after the two-day mega-auction.
However, a good stint in the league could define his career.