Mayank Yadav, the fast bowler for Lucknow Super Giants, is nearly certain to miss the initial phase of the forthcoming 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). According to ESPNcricinfo, the 22-year-old has not yet fully recovered from a lumbar stress injury and has only recently resumed bowling at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Yadav sustained his injury after making his debut for India during the T20I series against Bangladesh in October 2024. The BCCI has not yet provided the necessary fitness clearance for him. During the previous season of the lucrative league, he garnered attention for his remarkable speed in the four matches he participated in.

The report indicates that if Mayank Yadav successfully meets all required benchmarks while gradually increasing his workload, he may be eligible to participate in the latter part of IPL 2025, contingent upon receiving approval from the BCCI.

Prior to the mega auction, Lucknow Super Giants retained Mayank Yadav for INR 11 crore, a significant increase from the INR 20 lakh he commanded during the previous auction.

In the 2024 season, Mayank consistently impressed with his speed, regularly clocking 150 km/h. He also earned consecutive Player of the Match awards in his first two games of the tournament. Unfortunately, he was sidelined after playing four matches due to a persistent side strain.

His outstanding performance in IPL 2024 led to his inclusion in the fast-bowling contracts by the selectors. Subsequently, Mayank Yadav made his debut for India in the T20I series against Bangladesh, where he took four wickets across three matches.

'Want Mayank 150 per cent fit'

In February 2025, Zaheer Khan, who has recently assumed the role of team director for the franchise, announced that LSG will collaborate closely with the BCCI's medical team to develop a comprehensive plan for Mayank Yadav's fitness.

"We are eager to have him participate in IPL 2025, but our priority is to ensure he is 150% fit, not merely 100%. We will take all necessary measures to achieve this," he stated.

The IPL 2025 season is scheduled to commence on March 22, with the inaugural match featuring the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Under the leadership of Rishabh Pant, LSG will begin their IPL 2025 journey on March 24, facing off against Delhi Capitals in Visakhapatnam.

LSG squad: Rishabh Pant (c), Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Avesh Khan, Abdul Samad, Aryan Juyal, Akash Deep, Himmat Singh, M. Siddharth, Digvesh Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Singh, Shamar Joseph, Prince Yadav, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Arshin Kulkarni, Matthew Breetzke.

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