Mayank Yadav, the tearaway Delhi pacer, has broken down again and was ruled out of the IPL 2025 resumption. His franchise, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG,) named New Zealand’s Will O’Rourke as his replacement. However, reportedly, LSG is being accused of rushing Mayank Yadav’s comeback and worsening his condition.
As per Times of India report, an official stated that the Centre of Excellence (CoE) and the franchise didn’t follow the due procedures needed to help the pacer. They ignored the swelling that developed in his back and rushed him into the IPL, while merely ‘ticking boxes’.
After missing the first few games owing to a back injury and another minor injury, Mayank joined LSG just a few weeks into the tournament. He didn't start a game for a week even after joining. He then appeared off-pace after playing two games for statistics of 2/40 and 0/60.
Mayank Yadav was out of action since suffering a back injury after Bangladesh T20Is last year and only just had started bowling full tilt at the CoE.
“For a bowler who had such a long absence from the game, it’s surprising that it took the CoE just 10-12 sessions to give him a green signal. One-third of those sessions were at a reduced intensity, and he started bowling at 80-85% only towards the end of March.
You get a true picture only when you operate at full tilt and then take enough time to assess how the body is responding to the increased workload. That workload is gradually increased to observe and assess how the body is reacting to different levels of intensity. With Mayank, it looked like mere boxes were ticked," the official told Times of India.
The official also demanded a change of strategy and a full recovery "without interference" for the Delhi pacer, who made his IPL debut in 2024 but has only participated in six games thus far.
According to the source, LSG may not be able to keep the pacer next year since they have "lost trust" in him.
“There was a discussion at LSG about this. Mayank was asked about his drop in pace and non-match day activities. He told them that he is giving his best but is not able to go beyond, and for the non-match day workload, he informed them about his routine, which has been going on since the rehab at the CoE. The timing of the decision and the discussions during that meeting made it clear that they had lost trust in him and are unlikely to retain him for the next edition," the source added.
Mayank was retained by LSG for Rs. 11 crore, and the franchise is now seventh in the IPL 2025 points standings, with only a slim possibility of making the playoffs.
