India's newest pace sensation Mayank Yadav is set to miss at least the first part of IPL 2025 due to an ongoing injury.
Mayank, 22, shot into limelight with his rapid spells in the IPL last year, recording the fastest ball of the season at 156.7kph. He played four matches, picking up seven wickets at 12.14.
He started off the season strongly, picking up three-wicket hauls in back-to-back matches, but had to be sidelined due to soreness in the abdominal area. He briefly made a reappearance, but had to be sidelined again, with a scan subsequently revealing a small tear.
Back then, Lucknow Super Giants head coach Justin Langer had said: "There will always be a lot of discussion about fast bowlers, and I know he spoke to [Jasprit] Bumrah after the game and he reassured him that if he's going to be a fast bowler, part of his journey as a young fast bowler, he's going to get injuries."
The rapid pace was enough for him to get the attention of India's selectors, who fast-tracked him into the T20I team. He made his international debut during the home T20I series against Bangladesh in October 2024, becoming just the third India bowler to start off his T20I career with a maiden. However, another injury followed thereafter. He hasn't played any competitive cricket since, although he was named in the Delhi Ranji Trophy probables in September last year.
Read more: Touching 150kph: Full list of Mayank Yadav bowling speeds on India T20I debut
Mayank likely out of first half of IPL 2025
According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, Mayank is now suffering from a lumbar stress injury, which is set to force him out of at least the first half of IPL 2025.
Mayank is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. It effectively puts him out of contention for the Lucknow Super Giants' first set of matches in March and April, although there is no clear indication yet on what his recovery period might look like.
Mayank was retained for INR 11 crore by LSG ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.
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