LSG mentor breaks silence on whether Mayank Yadav will be fit for IPL 2025

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor Zaheer Khan opened up about speedster Mayank Yadav's recovery from injury. The young pacer was not considered for the recently concluded series against England or the domestic fixtures for Delhi as he suffered a setback on his road to recovery.

Mayank Yadav had made a strong start to his international career, picking up four wickets at an economy rate of 6.92 in his maiden series against Bangladesh in October 2024.

His rare ability to hit top speeds consistently coupled with his impressive debut season in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), led to LSG retaining him ahead of the mega auction. The pacer has been completing his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

LSG mentor Zaheer Khan stated that the franchise are in communication with the NCA, and the ultimate aim would be to get the player back to full fitness.

“We’ve had some interesting conversations on his roadmap to recovery and fitness with the NCA. We are working with them and hope for their support. He is not only important for LSG but also for Indian cricket," Zaheer Khan told the Times of India.

A bowler of his calibre should play consistently for a long time. I’m putting in effort and energy to give him the best environment to play longer. We want him 150% fit, so we will do everything possible to get him in top fitness,” he added.

Mayank Yadav could not play the entirety of his maiden IPL campaign as he was ruled out due to injury after playing only four matches. He picked up 7 wickets at an economy rate of 6.99.

LSG retained Mayank Yadav for INR 11 crore ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction

Mayank Yadav was one of the five players retained by LSG after the 2024 season. He was not considered under the uncapped category as he made his national debut prior to the retention deadline set by the BCCI.

The pacer was the joint second-highest retention for LSG along with Ravi Bishnoi, as Nicholas Pooran was the most expensive retention with a price tag of INR 21 crore.