‘Following the process was key’ – Mayank Yadav reflects on India debut, reveals Gautam Gambhir’s advice

Mayank Yadav (Photo Source : BCCI)

Mayank Yadav was one of the highlights of the Indian Premier League 2024 as the pacer, playing for Lucknow Super Giants, impressed everyone by his sheer pace. He even clicked 156.7 on the speed gun during the league stage before sustaining an abdominal strain that kept him out of action. As it stands, his prowess was noticed and he made his India debut in the first T20I against Bangladesh in Gwalior on October 6. 

The 22-year-old does not seem to stick with only pace but also tweaked it by bowling as low as 135 kmph and as high as 149.9 kmph. It is worth noting that Mayank bowled four overs and gave away just 21 runs, for Mahmudullah’s wicket. After the game, the right-arm pacer revealed inputs he received from head coach Gautam Gambhir.

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“Nothing extra, he [Gautam Gambhir] asked me to stick to the basics and do the things that have yielded positive results for me in the past. He asked me not to think much about trying different things or even think that it was an international game. Following the process was the key,” said Mayank while speaking on Jio Cinema.

This series marked my comeback after the injury: Mayank

There were questions raised about Mayank’s fitness as he was out of action from the start of May 2024 and did not play any competitive cricket as he was under rehab process at the National Cricket Academy. His debut game was getting into action straught after four months of recuperation. Speaking of his comeback, he admitted to having butterflies in his stomach and quipped that the recovery process was “tough”.

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“I was indeed excited but was a bit more nervous. This series marked my comeback after the injury. I didn’t play competitive cricket and then directly made my debut. That’s why I was a little more nervous. The recovery period was tough for more. Quite a lot of ups and downs were there in the last 4 months. But more than me, it was tougher for the people who worked with me,” he added.