(Cricket News) India’s newest pace sensation and LSG’s premier bowler Mayank Yadav is ‘pretty close’ to make a return into playing for his side. Mayank suffered a abdominal soreness against the Gujarat Giants and have been sidelined for the previous 4 games because of the injury.

Mayank has started bowling in the nets and can feature for LSG very soon. “He’s bowling today in the nets,” LSG’s assistant coach Sriram said on the eve of LSG’s match against Rajasthan Royals on Saturday. “So we’ll find out how he pulls up after today, he’s pretty close, so ya hopefully, fingers crossed.”

Mayank Yadav is his very first season has been very impressive so far with his pace along with the line and length. He has hit 157 Kmph clicks this season and has impressed one and all with his express pace. He made his IPL debut in LSG’s second game this season and won the player of the match award for a wonderful 3-wicket haul. He won the award yet again in his second IPL game as well against RCB.

Mayank was picked up by LSG in the 2022 auction, but unfortunately missed the entire season with an injury to his hamstring.  He made heads turn after clocking speeds north of 155kph in his first two matches, leaving people wondering if he could be in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup.

“I think he’s a pretty grounded person, I’ve just worked with him for the last month or so,” Sriram said. “He seems very mature and he knows his body well, which is very good for a young rookie fast bowler. I think coming from Delhi he has that cricket culture with him. He knows how to look after himself, he has a good cricketing sense in terms of the areas he bowls in, his execution has been very good.

“More than the pace that he’s provided I think his execution and the lengths that he’s hit have been standout for me. The number 155 is a by-product of his rhythm and the run-up speed and the arm speed, but accuracy with which he’s bowled has stood out and for me that is critical.”

Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop, wrote in his column of the need for India to invest in Mayank, given his history of injuries. “Whether it’s Lucknow Super Giants, Mayank’s IPL team, or the BCCI, they can undertake a project – not an experiment, mind you – to say, ‘This guy is a diamond. Let us see if we can allocate some sort of funding and see where this goes’,” he wrote.

“Give him a personal strength-and-conditioning trainer for, say, a year. Attach that person to him, not just have the player fly somewhere every six weeks for those resources. Maybe have another medical person on the panel as well. And perhaps a dietician too. Build him up.”

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