Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) speedster Mayank Yadav has joined the squad ahead of their upcoming match against Rajasthan Royals on Saturday, April 19. The young pacer is making a comeback after getting the green light from the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) to rejoin the squad.
Mayank Yadav was earlier ruled out of the first half of IPL 2025 with a stress fracture. The pacer had the hard yards at the NCA in Bengaluru before finally linking up with his teammates on Tuesday night.
He will be undergoing a fitness test ahead of LSG's next game against Rajasthan Royals on Saturday, April 19. Previously Shardul Thakur was roped in by the franchise as Mayank's replacement.
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The all-rounder made an immediate impact for the franchise, picking up 11 wickets in seven games. LSG mentor Zaheer Khan spoke very highly of Shardul Thakur while adding him as a replacement for Mayank. He banked on Shardul's experience and said that he is the leader of the attack. Alongside Shardul Thakur, LSG played Akash Deep in the last few games. The Bengal pacer was a touch expensive in the games that he played.
Mayank Yadav Joins LSG Squad
Previously, the absence of Mayank Yadav came as a big blow to LSG. He made a telling impact on the franchise in IPL 2024, taking seven wickets from four games. He then picked up a back injury and was ruled out for the rest of the season. After getting fit, he made his T20I debut against Bangladesh last year in October, where he picked up four wickets in three matches.
Zaheer Khan, the former Indian pacer who was roped in as the mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants ahead of IPL 2025, seems excited to work with him. He said that the young pacer needs physical conditioning to manage the workload in the IPL and then in international cricket.
"You know a bowler of his calibre, to be able to play consistently for the long term, that's where I'm trying to put in all my efforts and energy, in terms of giving him the best environment which will really help him play longer without really taking these breaks. I think that's really important and that's the outlook which we have. So as much as we are keen on having him [play IPL 2025], we want him 150% fit not just 100% fit so we'll do everything possible to get him there" Zaheer had said.
Also Read: Mayank Yadav Cleared for IPL 2025 Return: Lucknow Super Giants’ Speedster Ready for ComebackÂ
