Mayank Yadav made a comeback for (LSG) against Rajasthan Royals (RR), but he did not have a great outing, conceding 56 runs in four overs.
Mayank’s off day meant that Rajasthan Royals posted 159-6 in 20 overs, and it was enough for them to defeat the LSG. Following the poor return, Mayank faced severe criticism; however, former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop came to his rescue and defended the pacer. Bishop said that to be able to make a return after injury and clock 150kmph in itself is a big achievement. He urged the fans to support the pacer and pray that he stays fit, adding that the results will follow.
“To see negative comments about Mayank Yadav today is horrifying. The kid nearly lost his career & livelihood at 21 years. Just to see him play again is a huge boost. The fact that he clocked 150kph again is a miracle. At 23yrs just pray for him that he stays fit. The control will come,” Bishop posted on X on Thursday.
“Doesn’t matter about his bowling figures. What matters is that Mayank Yadav is on the park tonight. He has regularly gotten up to 150kph in this game already. Mohsin Khan fit, Prince Yadav firing. LSG are fortunate to have them being led by Shami,” he had added in another post on Wednesday.
Injuries Hampering Mayank’s Rise
Mayank burst onto the scene as someone who can clock 150 kmph with ease, but his career was marred by injuries. He picked up an injury in IPL 2024 after playing only a handful of games, and was ruled out of IPL 2025 due to a back injury. Given Mayank’s potential, LSG retained the pacer for 11 crore ahead of IPL 2026.
Meanwhile, the defeat meant that LSG slipped to ninth on the table with two wins and five defeats.