Lucknow: Pacer Kartik Tyagi is again lighting up radar guns and scorecards after a fiery burst in the ongoing UPT20 League. Playing for Meerut Mavericks against Gorakhpur Lions at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here, the Uttar Pradesh speedster ripped out Prince Yadav’s middle stump with a thunderbolt clocked at 154 kph — his third delivery in the second over of a rain-curtailed contest.
It wasn’t merely a spectacular strike, it also stamped Tyagi as one of India’s elite fast bowlers with raw pace. He joins Umran Malik, who tops the speed list at 157 kph and Mayank Yadav (156.7 kph). Former India spearhead Javagal Srinath had clocked 154.5 kph while even Irfan Pathan (153.7 kph) and Mohammed Shami (153.3 kph) too had produced express deliveries.
For Tyagi, it’s confirmation of the raw, repeatable aggression he now brings with the new ball and in the death overs. Mavericks won by 10 wickets on Sunday night after Tyagi’s two-over spell of 1/19 (8-overs-a-side game) helped restrict Lions to 91/6 in the rain-hit game. It was the team’s sixth straight win.
Tyagi first grabbed attention during IPL where early showings for Rajasthan Royals demonstrated his ability to hit the deck, extract bounce and unsettle top-order batters. In his first IPL season in 2020, he played a crucial role as a fast bowler for RR and famously defended four runs in a final over against Punjab Kings in 2021.
However, injuries had set him back but he has returned fit and firing, and at 25 his more polished craft reflects his experience.
“He (Tyagi) has been doing very well with his speed and accuracy,” former India speedster Chetan Sharma said on Monday. “Speed doesn’t thrill me that much, but I like to see a bowler like Tyagi bowling on the right spots,” he added.
A former chief selector, Sharma suggested that Tyagi should make better use of the crease and said he was one of the best fast bowling prospects for India. “He needs to make proper use of the crease. There is no doubt about his potential. I saw him bowling quicks as well as slower ones in last evening’s match,” said Sharma, who is doing TV commentary of the UPT20 League.
In IPL, Tyagi has built a reputation for lively spells, bowling aggressive lengths and intimidating pace to force batsmen into mistakes. While wickets and economy vary with the format and opposition, Tyagi’s strike power has always been his calling card — the ability to change a game in a single over.
Acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs.30 lakh after injury-plagued seasons, Tyagi staged a strong comeback in the 2026 IPL season. Clocking speeds between 140-150 kph, he finished as KKR’s leading wicket-taker, and fifth overall among the Purple Cap contenders, claiming 18 crucial wickets in 13 matches.
Benefiting from guidance by mentors like Dwayne Bravo and honing his hard-length consistency, Tyagi relentlessly hit a good length at pace, reigniting his career while his yorkers infused life to KKR’s campaign.
In domestic cricket, Tyagi has complemented his IPL experience with steady development. Representing Uttar Pradesh in the domestic circuit, he has worked on consistency, rhythm and seam control, translating raw speed into productive bowling across formats. His domestic performances helped him refine variations — short-of-length cutters, bouncers that rise awkwardly, and fuller deliveries that nip back — making him a more complete fast bowler.
The UPT20 League underlines how a new generation of quicks push the boundary of speed while combining skill and tactical nous. Tyagi’s latest effort is a statement that he belongs in conversations about India’s speed battery. Clocking 154 kph in competitive conditions, uprooting a set batter’s off-stump, and doing it under the pressure of franchise expectations shows growth.