Tearaway quick Mayank Yadav’s return from an injury layoff in the ongoing IPL was cut short against Mumbai Indians on Tuesday (April 30) when he walked off midway through his spell. Mayank had earlier played three matches before being sidelined due to abdominal soreness.

“Looks like he is sore in the same spot,” revealed Lucknow coach Justin Langer while updating the host broadcasters on Mayank’s injury after the match.

Speaking on Jio Cinema, the official digital broadcaster of the tournament, Brett Lee blamed the Lucknow management for rushing Mayank back into playing without properly assessing the extent of his injury.

Lee argued: “A side strain or whatever they’re calling it, normally takes at least four to six weeks to even come right. We don’t know the depths of how big a strain it was but for somebody who is pushing the limits of their body by bowling 150 kmph, that’s not good management at all.

“His first game coming back and getting injured, has to directly be on the leadership and the medical staff of the Lucknow Super Giants.”

Mayank lit up IPL 2024 with 155 kmph thunderbolts on his IPL debut, against Punjab Kings. Only one Indian, Umran Malik, has been clocked at a faster speed. He finished with 3-27. Of the 24 balls bowled, Mayank breached the 145 kmph mark on 18 occasions.

While impressed by Mayank’s pace, Lee felt sorry for him and wished “he got the right advice” from the LSG management: “The only person who has to pay this price is this poor young guy Mayank, who is just electric. Everyone in the IPL has loved seeing what he’s brought … You wish he got the right advice, so he doesn’t have to go through and absorb this. Now, it’s most probably going to mean that he’s going to miss out on the World Cup if there’s an injury that might come up.”

It is worth a mention that the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup, named hours before Lee’s statement, did not include Mayank.