Mayank Markande

A classic young leg-spinner, Mayank Markande is a Punjab-born spinner who started his career as a pacer but his coach at the NICS Academy in Patiala suggested him to focus on leg-spin only. Mayank started playing cricket at the age of 7 and has been under the guidance of former Indian u-19 assistant coach Munish Bali for the last 7 years.

For a man who is just 22, it has already been a rollercoaster of a ride in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Mayank was an unknown commodity when he was thrown into the deep end by Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2018. Three wickets in the tournament opener against Chennai Super Kings, including that of MS Dhoni, propelled the youngster into an instant star. The hype was bolstered further when he bagged another four wickets against Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

After debuting for Punjab in the 2018 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he immediately impressed everyone and was bought by the IPL giants, Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2018 edition of the IPL where his brilliance inspired Mumbai to yet another IPL title. His excellent form resulted in the national call-up against Australia for a T20 fixture in 2019. 

In the subsequent IPL season, Mayank only managed a single wicket in three matches and was dropped from the squad due to an injury. He was replaced by the now Mumbai spin talisman, Rahul Chahar who grabbed the opportunity with open hands. The cut-throat competition in IPL saw the young spinner being overshadowed by another young talent.

While he could only feature in just three games in IPL 2019 and did not get any game time in the IPL 2020, the youngster was signed by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2021 IPL. Riddled by another injury, Mayank hasn’t yet featured for RR but is optimistic of getting game time as soon as IPL resumes in UAE and is also eyeing back-to-back T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022.

(As of June 2021)