Kartik turns up heat with 149kph delivery in UPT20 | Lucknow News

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh’s fast-bowling tradition found another spark in Kartik Tyagi, the Meerut Mavericks pacer who clocked 149 kmph against Gorakhpur Lions in the UPT20 League on Sunday.Following the legacy of UP speedsters like Praveen Kumar, RP Singh, Sudeep Tyagi and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kartik played a fiery spell with fastest delivery in UPT20 history.Kartik has claimed three wickets in two matches in the ongoing UPT20 league.Kartik has endured a long and difficult journey through injuries, comebacks and franchise changes, but the IPL 2026 season with Kolkata Knight Riders brought him fresh confidence.The right-arm fast bowler, who has been part of the IPL since 2020 with Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Titans and KKR, clocked 150.4 km/h against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026, underlining that his pace remains one of his biggest weapons.For Kartik, however, speed alone is no longer the achievement.“My focus is on how to use my pace properly in a match. Pace has fascinated me since childhood, and touching new milestones still makes me happy, but now I think more about Yorkers, deception and length balls. Pace is my passion, and it still gives me excitement,” he said.His career has been disrupted by repeated injuries over the last few years, but he finally managed to play a full IPL season (2026) for KKR, taking 18 wickets in 14 matches.“Last year, I played the entire UPT20 League, the domestic season and several other tournaments before the IPL. That gave me confidence. I was bowling a lot before the IPL, and match time always builds confidence,” Kartik said.During the IPL, he was also seen working closely with Dwayne Bravo.“Bravo helped me understand the finer details of bowling plans. I learned how to plan an entire over properly — field placements, how many balls to bowl according to a plan, and which field suits which delivery,” he said.On his India ambitions, he said: “Everyone wants to play for India, and so do I. But right now, I am happy to be fit. For three to four years, I was in and out because of injuries. Whenever I came back, I got injured again. The main thing is to stay ready for any format whenever the opportunity comes.”Reflecting on injuries, Tyagi said shin splints tested him badly. “There were times I doubted whether I would play again. But patience helped me. I have been completely fit for the past one year.”