'The motivation to play for India kept me going through the toughest phase': Mayank Yadav
Harare, July 24
Fast bowler Mayank Yadav said the dream of representing India kept him motivated through a challenging 21-month injury lay-off as he marked his international return with a Player of the Match performance in India's seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the opening T20I at the Harare Sports Club.
Returning to international cricket after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Mayank struck with the very first ball of the match and finished with impressive figures of 2-18. Along with fellow Delhi pacer Prince Yadav (2-19), he laid the foundation for India's clinical victory before teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed a record-breaking 18-ball half-century to guide the visitors to a comfortable chase of 126 and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Reflecting on the difficult period away from the game, Mayank admitted that the lay-off tested him mentally. "It was very difficult, especially this two-year gap was very challenging for me as a person because the main thing is age wasn't on my side at that time. I was only 22 or 23 years old," Mayank told reporters after the match.
"So that thing always affected me that at such a young age, I'm having to see so much. At the same time, the motivation to play for the country exists from childhood for every player. So that motivation was there for me that I should return to play for the country and perform the way I did," he added.
Mayank made an immediate impact by dismissing Brian Bennett off the opening ball after Ishan Kishan completed a successful review behind the stumps. He later removed Dion Myers with another lively delivery as Zimbabwe slipped to 32/4 before recovering to post 125/7 through Wessly Madhevere's 39 and Tadiwanashe Marumani's unbeaten 27.
Mayank also praised Iyer's leadership, saying the India skipper gave his bowlers complete freedom to execute their plans.
"I didn't speak much to him before the match. But when he was captaining, I felt that he showed a lot of confidence in the bowlers and I felt very good that whatever I wanted to bowl, he backed that," Mayank said.
"When he gave me some advice too, I felt very confident that I could back that and it was a good option. I felt very free playing with him. It's the first time I'm playing under his captaincy. I've only seen him lead on TV or with other teams, so it felt very good."
India will look to seal the three-match series when the two sides meet in the second T20I on Saturday.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The future of Indian pace bowling looks bright! Mayank, Prince, and then Vaibhav's batting — what a match. But we must be careful not to rush these young talents. Proper workload management is crucial. Remember what happened with other promising fast bowlers in the past. Hope the support staff handles them well.
Great to see Mayank back after such a long injury layoff. 21 months is brutal for any athlete. His story reminds me of Jasprit Bumrah's early struggles with injuries. The Indian cricket system is producing some serious fast bowling talent now. Looking forward to seeing more of this pace battery!
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi — remember the name! 18-ball fifty at 18 years old is insane! 😱 But I have a slight concern: are we pushing these youngsters too hard too fast? Mayank's injury history should be a lesson. Need to balance giving them opportunities with protecting their bodies. Still, brilliant performance from the whole team!
What impresses me most is Mayank's mental strength. "Age wasn't on my side" — at 22, feeling like time is running out in cricket is tough. But he channeled that fear into motivation. The way he praised Iyer's captaincy shows good team spirit too. This is how you build a champion team!
Excellent bowling from both Mayank and Prince. But let's not get carried away — Zimbabwe isn't Australia. The real test will come against stronger teams. Still,
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