Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will have to start IPL 2025 without one of their biggest weapons—Mayank Yadav. The young pace sensation, who made headlines last season with his raw speed, has been ruled out of the first half of the tournament due to a lumbar stress injury. The 22-year-old is currently recovering at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where he has resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation.

While LSG had high hopes for Mayank after retaining him for ₹11 crore, his latest injury setback has put his participation in this year’s IPL in doubt. If he clears the necessary fitness tests and gradually increases his bowling workload, he could still make a return in the latter stages of the competition.

A Promising Start Cut Short

Mayank Yadav burst onto the scene in IPL 2024, where he immediately caught attention with his 150+ kph thunderbolts. His performances were so impressive that he won back-to-back Player-of-the-Match awards in his first two games. However, a side strain limited him to just four matches before he was ruled out of the tournament.

Despite his short-lived debut season, his potential was evident, leading the LSG management to retain him for a massive ₹11 crore—a huge jump from his initial ₹20 lakh contract in 2024.

His return to cricket was further delayed when he suffered another injury after making his India debut against Bangladesh in October 2024. Since then, he has been in and out of rehab, struggling with multiple fitness concerns.

LSG’s Plans Without Mayank

LSG’s team director, Zaheer Khan, acknowledged the franchise’s concern over Mayank’s fitness but emphasized that rushing him back was not an option.

“We want him to be 150% fit, not just 100%. We will do everything possible to get him there,” Zaheer said in February.

With Mayank ruled out for at least the first half of the season, LSG will need to find alternative pace-bowling options. The team kicks off its IPL 2025 campaign against Delhi Capitals on March 24 in Visakhapatnam, and they will have to manage their bowling attack carefully in his absence.

Will Mayank Return for the Second Half?

While the BCCI has not given a specific timeline for his return, his progress in rehabilitation will determine if he can feature later in IPL 2025. If he successfully regains match fitness, he could still be a key factor for LSG in the latter stages of the tournament.

For now, LSG fans will have to wait and hope that their express pacer can make a strong comeback when it matters most.