Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan raises concerns about Mayank Yadav fitness and availability ahead of IPL 2026.
The IPL 2026 season starts on March 28, and there will be high expectations from Mayank Yadav.
In the few IPL matches he has played, he has already shown his potential. He was also called up to the Indian team and has played three T20Is.
He has been part of Lucknow Super Giants since 2024 but has played only six matches so far, taking nine wickets. In both seasons, he suffered injuries and had to miss the rest of the tournament after playing just a few games. He is considered one of the fastest pacers India has produced.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, former India cricketer Irfan Pathan raised concerns about Mayank Yadav’s fitness. He said that playing only six matches in two years is not enough, especially for a retained player, and that he needs to be available this season.
“Mayank Yadav has played six matches in two years, it is not enough. He is a retained player. He has to be available this year. If there is no place for him in the team, then that is a separate thing. The franchise has supported him. Mohsin Khan missed last year entirely, and even in the seasons before, he has not played all the games. But they have been backed; no other franchise does this. I have seen KKR and MI do it, but many franchises run out of patience after one or two seasons,” Irfan Pathan said.
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LSG retained Mayank Yadav for INR 11 crore ahead of the IPL 2026 season. In the intra-squad practice match played a few days ago, Mayank Yadav took two wickets but conceded 49 runs in his four overs.
Since the game against Punjab Kings, which was his last match of the season, Mayank Yadav has played only one competitive match. That came for India A against USA in a warm-up match, where he conceded 37 runs without taking a wicket. So, he will need to be used carefully by Lucknow Super Giants this season.
LSG will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on April 1 against Delhi Capitals in Lucknow.
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