April 16, 2025: Ahead of their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) received a massive boost with the return of their right-arm speedster, Mayank Yadav. After recovering from a back injury, Mayank joined the Rishabh Pant-led side just in time for their eighth game of the ongoing season.
Mayank, 22, had been sidelined since October 2024 due to a back injury that also kept him out of the entire domestic season. He made his international debut earlier that year, playing three T20Is against Bangladesh, but the injury forced him to miss several months of action. The pacer had been undergoing rehabilitation at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where he made a steady recovery.
According to an ESPNcricinfo report, Mayank is expected to feature in LSG’s upcoming clash against Rajasthan Royals on Saturday in Jaipur. His availability is a significant development for the team, especially considering that they started the season without him.
LSG took to their social media to share a video showing Mayank receiving a warm welcome from the hotel staff upon his arrival at the destination. In a heartwarming gesture, he also took the time to sign autographs for the staff members.
Mayank’s return is particularly noteworthy given his impressive debut season in the IPL. After a strong start with two Player of the Match awards in his first three games, where he consistently clocked speeds above 150 km/h and took seven wickets, he was unfortunately ruled out of the tournament due to an abdominal injury. After recovering from that issue at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), another setback occurred, as he picked up another injury during his rehab. However, with his return now confirmed, Mayank is expected to add a lot of firepower to LSG’s bowling attack as they aim to make a strong push in IPL 2025.
The news of Mayank’s recovery had previously been hinted at by LSG’s head coach, Justin Langer, who mentioned just ten days ago that he had seen videos of the pacer bowling at “90 to 95 percent” fitness and that his return to the team was imminent.