Mayank Yadav marked his return to Delhi colours in style, taking a career-best 5 for 14 in three overs as Delhi thrashed Jammu & Kashmir by 103 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Saturday.
Playing domestic cricket for Delhi for the first time since 2023, the 24-year-old fast bowler dismantled the Jammu & Kashmir chase with pace and sharp bounce, striking twice in his opening over. He bowled captain Shubham Khajuria with a delivery that uprooted the off stump, then forced Vivrant Sharma into a mistimed lofted shot to mid-off, and never let the chase recover.
Mayank sealed his five-wicket haul in the 12th over, bowling Brijesh Sharma with a full delivery that crashed into the stumps to leave Jammu & Kashmir eight down for 88. The five-for is the first of his domestic T20 career, eclipsing his previous best of 3 for 14, and he was named Player of the Match.
The performance was a reminder of the express pace that fast-tracked Mayank into the India side. His last outing in India colours came on October 30, in the fourth T20 international against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland, and this was his first appearance for Delhi in domestic cricket since 2023 — a comeback he could hardly have marked more emphatically. Delhi have packed their squad with India internationals, with Ishant Sharma, Harshit Rana and Suyash Sharma all in the side alongside Mayank, and the depth of their attack showed as the wickets were shared around the five-for.
Delhi had earlier posted an imposing 243 for 6 in 20 overs after being put in to bat. Priyansh Arya set the tone with 58 off 29 balls, Tejasvi Dahiya made 46 off 24, and Himmat Singh finished unbeaten on 63 off 26, with Ayush Badoni adding 37. Jammu & Kashmir’s reply never got going, and only Yawer Hassan’s lone hand of 70 kept the margin from being even heavier as they folded for 140 in 19.1 overs. Suyash Sharma picked up two wickets, while Harshit Rana and Arya took one each.
The win is a statement start to Delhi’s campaign in India’s premier domestic T20 tournament, which began on Saturday with 32 teams in action across the country and runs until December 6. Delhi, led by Ayush Badoni, will look to build on this opening win when they return to action at the same venue.
