Former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey has spoken on the fitness of pacer Mayank Yadav. Yadav, who made a huge splash with his pace in IPL 2024, bowling above 145 kph with ease, suffered an injury in the tournament and has been recovering from the same.
Mayank Yadav, 22, emerged as one of the IPL 2024's star players, excelling with his blistering pace and seven wickets in just four matches. Yadav's explosive speed drew attention early in the IPL 2024 season, as he frequently bowled at speeds greater than 150 kmph and delivered the fourth-fastest ball in IPL history at 156.7 kmph.
Unfortunately, an injury ended his participation after only four games, during which he took seven wickets.
Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, expressed worries over Yadav's availability for the next Border-Gavaskar Test series in December.
While rehabilitating at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey insists on gradually introducing Yadav back into action, with a concentration on first-class cricket.
"I cannot give you any answer on Mayank Yadav as there is no guarantee whether he will be in the team or not. But he is potentially a good fast bowler, and we are looking after him. He is currently at the NCA,” Mhambrey told Times of India.
Concerns over Yadav's injuries have prompted talks regarding his immediate future and the best course of action for his recuperation.
Paras Mhambrey promotes a gradual return to competitive cricket, particularly the lengthier format. Mhambrey contends that benching Yadav out of prudence may not be the best strategy for the young pacer.
"I don't agree that if he is not ready, just don't play him. This is the age where he has to bowl. A bowler should bowl. The more you bowl, the more you will have control, you will know your threshold as to how much your body can take. You can't wrap him up in cotton wool saying he will get injured," Mhambrey told The Indian Express.
Mhambrey believes that practicing red-ball cricket will help Yadav's development and injury management. He highlighted the importance of first-class cricket in getting experience and understanding one's physical limitations.
"We can't over bowl and burn him out, but we have to be smart about how much he should bowl. As a fast bowler, he needs to play first-class cricket. You have to check his background. How much cricket has he played? How much has he bowled? Everything adds up. We need to go in-depth about him, what have been his training methods? How many overs he used to bowl, his history of injuries," Mhambrey noted.
Mhambrey also emphasized the need to realize that Yadav is still in the early stages of his career and that proactive management of his workload and fitness is critical.
"He's only 22. His body is still developing. He is in that injury-prone age group. His body has not completely developed yet. His injuries can be controlled if we understand his background well,” he added.
Indian cricket fans are eagerly waiting for Mayank Yadav’s return to the field, especially with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series coming up.
