IPL 2020: 'What went wrong for me in 2019 was that I caught a fever,' says Mayank Markande

There was a time when Mayank Markande was deemed as the next big match-winner for the Indian cricket team. The former Mumbai Indians leg-spinner made his IPL debut in 2018 and scalped seven wickets in his first two matches. At the end of the season, he even earned a call-up to the Indian team. However, he could not recreate his IPL magic, and a below-par season in 2019 led to his exit from the Mumbai-based franchise.

In a recent interview with Sport360, Mayank Markande revealed that his poor health was the reason behind his downfall. He believes that catching fever in 2019 did not help his cricket career.

Rajasthan Royals is known for giving chances to the youngsters: Mayank Markande optimistic ahead of IPL 2020

Mayank Markande broke into the Indian cricket team and made his T20I debut against Australia in 2019. While he could not scalp a wicket, he bowled a decent spell of 0/31.

In the subsequent IPL season, he managed to take only one wicket in three games. The Mumbai Indians subsequently dropped him from the playing XI owing to his poor health and replaced him with Rahul Chahar.

Speaking of his dismal season in 2019, Mayank Markande said:

"I did very well in 2018 and went on to make my India debut as well. What went wrong for me in 2019 was that I caught a fever. Rahul Chahar came in as the replacement in the next match and impressed instantly. In the IPL, the competition is cut-throat and every player is waiting for their chance. That's what Rahul did, he grabbed the opportunity with both hands."

The Mumbai Indians team management was immensely impressed by Chahar's performance and decided to trade Markande out to Delhi Capitals before IPL 2020. Interestingly, even the Delhi-based franchise traded him out of their squad to the Rajasthan Royals.

Mayank Markande is now waiting for an opportunity to prove himself in the IPL once again:

"I didn't get the chance to reclaim my place after that. So now I am just waiting for my chance. I think that Rajasthan Royals is known for giving chances to the youngsters. They have proved it in the previous seasons," he continued.

The Punjab-based player will don the Rajasthan jersey in IPL 2020. As the UAE's pitches will offer assistance to the slower bowlers, Markande's performance would be key to RR's success in IPL 2020.