New Delhi, Sep 02, 2024, IANS

New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) Mayank Yadav created a significant impact in IPL 2024 for Lucknow Super Giants with his thunderous 150kmph deliveries combined with precision, leaving the batsmen bewildered (particularly with the Cameron Green setup and dismissal still vivid in memory), and generating excitement among cricket enthusiasts. However, Mayank, who represents Delhi in domestic cricket, has not taken part in any competitive matches since Lucknow’s match against Mumbai Indians on April 30. Mayank’s absence has been attributed to a recurring lower abdominal strain, an area where he previously suffered an injury in the early part of IPL 2024 and again felt soreness after Lucknow’s game against Mumbai. Since then, Mayank has been on a relentless rehab and training spree at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. But what does the road ahead for Mayank look like after not being picked in Duleep Trophy and giving the inaugural Delhi Premier League (DPL) a miss? Devendra Sharma, the Sonnet Club coach who nurtured Mayank, said the fast bowler’s has a full training schedule chalked out for him at the NCA. Strength and conditioning coach Rajinikanth Sivagnanam, who’s been previously associated with rehabs of Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Prasidh Krishna and Rishabh Pant, is one of the key persons monitoring Mayank’s progress at the NCA. “Like in the morning, he is made to bowl, followed by rehab session and exercise routine. After this, he again does his bowling in the nets. All of this is something which he is doing there on a daily basis, as per what he told me.” “He bowls eight-ten overs daily, and I did ask him why he wasn’t named in Duleep Trophy squads. To this, Mayank replied, ‘Sir, I have been told not to go into it as I can’t put too much load on my body and concentrate on white-ball cricket for now’,” said Devendra to IANS. T.A. Sekar, the former India pacer who’s now a fast-bowling coach, feels Mayank’s technique makes him injury prone. "His technique has to be fine-tuned in such a way that he will have less injuries, because anybody who bowls at 156 kmph - that’s what it showed in the IPL speed gun and all, naturally, he will have injuries." “He is young and has terrific potential, but has not played much of cricket. So, straightaway, you cannot put him in a Test match where if he bowls 20 overs, he will get injured again. That’s why, he has to play some cricket, and the last he played was sometime in April-end.” “So, May, June, July, August, and September has come, which tells it will be five months of him not playing any cricket. It is not that only in this IPL he got injured – previously also, he got injured, and that’s why he’s played just one Ranji Trophy match (in December 2022),” said Sekar to IANS. On Sunday, visuals came of Mayank bowling to Yashasvi Jaiswal as some Duleep Trophy bound-players were having their match-playing scenario sessions in Bengaluru, giving hope that the fast-bowler would be back on the field soon. “The good news is, he’s bowling right now and can be considered for future teams, as he’s sending down a lot of deliveries at the NCA. He’s told me, ‘Sir I am becoming fit and pain-free, as well as bowling eight to ten overs daily.’ I am sure that in coming time, he will take the field again,” adds Devendra. For now, the focus of everyone, including Mayank, should be on getting fully fit. Sekar, who saw Mayank in an U-23 game in Pondicherry in 2021 and then at the Mumbai Indians trials in 2022, feels if the pacer is back in action for the first phase of Ranji Trophy in October, he has a slim chance of going to Border-Gavaskar Trophy, though he also admits that the pacer has to stitch consistent performances in red-ball games. “I hope NCA makes sure he is strengthened in the areas where he is getting injured, and remodel his action. Hopefully, he should be coming back and bowling at the same speed, and in the same way bowled in IPL and other matches, because if he is not picked for the Duleep Trophy and if he doesn’t play the Ranji Trophy, how people could pick him for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy?” “Maybe if he plays one or two Ranji Trophy matches in October and bowls exceptionally well, then it might tempt the selectors to pick him at least as an additional/backup fast bowler or as the 17th player for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Then, if he goes in the practice without injury, then they might pick him for some Test match if the wicket is conducive for fast bowlers." “He has terrific potential, but India needs to groom him. Definitely, he is a terrific bowler with the white-ball. But for red-ball, we have to wait and see, because nobody has seen him playing red ball cricket consistently,” he concluded.