LSG Pacer Mayank Yadav Suffers Freak Toe Injury, Return Delayed Further

Lucknow Super Giants pacer Mayank Yadav has suffered yet another setback in his road to recovery. While he was already working his way back from a back injury, a freak toe injury has now further delayed his return. LSG head coach Justin Langer remains optimistic that Mayank will be available in the final week of IPL 2025, but fans will have to wait longer than expected to see him back in action.

Lucknow’s pre-season has been filled with injury troubles, especially in their fast-bowling department. Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, and Akash Deep have all been struggling with fitness issues. Mohsin has already been ruled out for the season, with LSG signing Shardul Thakur as his replacement. However, the biggest concern for the franchise remains Mayank, whose sheer pace and ability to hit 150kph consistently made him one of the most exciting finds of last season. 

There was hope that Mayank would return by early April, with reports suggesting he was making good progress at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. But Langer revealed that a freak accident has now pushed his comeback further. "Mayank, who everyone was very excited about last year, he was going quite well (coming back from a back injury), and he kicked his toe on the bed," Langer said. "He got an infection in his toe. It's put his rehab back about a week or two weeks. But he's up and running. We regularly see videos of him bowling. I saw a video of his yesterday. So, hopefully by the back end of the tournament, Mayank will be up and ready to go for us." 

The injuries to Lucknow’s key Indian pacers have already started to impact the team. In their season opener against Delhi Capitals, LSG bowlers had DC reeling at 7-3 in the second over and 50-4 by the end of the powerplay. But they couldn’t capitalize on that strong start, allowing DC to chase down 210 in the final over. It’s clear that Lucknow need their frontline pacers back if they want to compete at the highest level. For now, LSG will be hoping that Avesh Khan and Akash Deep recover quickly, while keeping their fingers crossed for Mayank’s return in the final stages of the tournament. 

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