IPL 2025: LSG Pacer Mayank Yadav’s Return Delayed Due to New Injury

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will begin their IPL 2025 campaign on Monday against Delhi Capitals in Visakhapatnam. But just before their first match, they’ve been hit with bad news fast bowler Mayank Yadav has suffered a new injury, delaying his return to the tournament. LSG has already been struggling with injuries to their key Indian pacers Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, and Akash Deep.

Mohsin has been ruled out for the entire season, and on Sunday, LSG announced that all-rounder Shardul Thakur will take his place in the squad. Mayank had a dream start in IPL 2024, impressing everyone with his raw pace, regularly clocking over 150 kph, and winning the Player of the Match award in his first two games.

 But injuries have kept him away from cricket ever since. He was recovering from a back injury at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, and last week, reports suggested he could be back in the first half of April. However, on Sunday, LSG head coach Justin Langer shared that Mayank has suffered a fresh injury, pushing his return to the final week of the tournament.

LSG head coach Justin Langer revealed that their star pacer Mayank Yadav has faced another injury on his road to recovery.
........................
The young fast bowler kicked his toe on the bed and suffered an infection. His return has been further delayed due to the injury. pic.twitter.com/MKfsNOVpEx

— Indian Funda (@Raj_Royal_11) March 24, 2025

"Mayank was making good progress with his back injury, but unfortunately, he stubbed his toe on the bed and got an infection. That has delayed his recovery by a week or two," Langer explained. "But he’s back on his feet. We keep getting videos of him bowling, and I saw one just yesterday. Hopefully, he’ll be ready for the final stretch of the tournament."

Updates on Other Injured Pacers

LSG’s fast bowling department has taken a big hit with injuries. While Mohsin Khan is out for the season, there’s hope for Avesh Khan and Akash Deep. "Avesh is close to making a return. He’s expected to clear his fitness test at the NCA tomorrow, and if all goes well, he’ll be back soon. Akash Deep is also recovering well he’s bowling at 90% intensity and has completed his yo-yo test, so he’s almost there," Langer added.

ALSO READ: IPL 2025: Bhuvneshwar Kumar injury update: RCB drops hint on CSK match availability

LSG will kick off their season under their new captain Rishabh Pant, who was bought for a record ₹27 crore in last year’s mega auction. Interestingly, their first match is against Pant’s former team, Delhi Capitals.

Mayank Yadav, the Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) pacer, is facing a setback in IPL 2024 as he is set to miss the remainder of the tournament due to injury. Despite hopes for a potential return in the playoffs, the situation remains uncertain, adding to the challenges for the player and his team.

Head Coach Justin Langer’s Insights

LSG’s head coach, Justin Langer, provided insights into Mayank’s injury and the team’s outlook moving forward. While expressing optimism for Mayank’s recovery, Langer acknowledged the harsh reality of the situation, indicating that it might be challenging for the young bowler to return for the latter stages of the tournament.

See Also: Sourav Ganguly predicts finalists of T20 WC 2024

Head coach Justin Langer said: “No, we’ll be praying that he can play, hopefully, in the playoffs, but I’m a realist as well. It’ll be probably difficult for him to get up for the back-end of the tournament. He’s had a scan. He’s got a small tear in a similar area to where his last one was. So it’s very unfortunate.”

The severity of Mayank’s Injury

Mayank’s injury, as revealed by Langer, involves a small tear in a similar area to his previous injury, casting doubt over his immediate return to action. Despite the positive signs during his rehabilitation, the setback is disheartening for both Mayank and LSG, considering his impact when he returned to the field earlier in the tournament.

Head coach further stated, “He’s got huge potential. But his rehabilitation was excellent. He went into the game [against MI], had a couple of bowls before the game. He was completely pain free. So it’s very sad for him and it’s disappointing for LSG as well that he might [not[ play the rest of the tournament.”

Mayank Yadav’s Performance in IPL 2024

Mayank had burst onto the scene this IPL with returns of 3 for 27 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) and 3 for 14 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), regularly hitting 155kph and making batters hop. He won the Player-of-the-Match award in both games. In his third game, against Gujarat Titans (GT), he bowled only one over before going off and sat out five games before returning against MI. But unfortunately he left the field in his last game after having bowled just 3.1 overs against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Tuesday.