Mayank Yadav has replaced Shardul Thakur in the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) playing XI against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
After an extended rehabilitation at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (CoE), pace sensation Mayank Yadav joined LSG on April 16 but had to wait before making his return.
Captain Rishabh Pant won the toss and opted to field first against Mumbai Indians.
“We are bowling first. We feel the wicket is still on the batting side. It is a day game. We want to make use of the slightly drier conditions under the sun. It will get better for batting during the second innings,” he said at the toss.
“We are in a good space, and personally, it is easier to put the team ahead, which makes it easier. Definitely, it feels good. Personally, I don’t think about it too much. We are taking every day as a new day.
“Just one change. Instead of Shardul, Mayank comes in.”
Mayank’s last competitive game was back in October 2024 when he featured in the T20I against Bangladesh in Hyderabad. He has been out of action since then because of a back injury.
Who’s that IPL player?
His comeback was further delayed by a toe injury during his time at the CoE.
With a history of injury issues — as many as five stress fractures in the last two years — the LSG camp has operated with caution as far as Mayank is concerned.
Even in the 2024 edition of IPL, he played only four games and was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a side strain.
On the other hand, Mumbai Indians have made two changes, bringing in Karn Sharma for Mitchell Santner and debutant Corbin Bosch for Vignesh Puthur.
Playing XIs
Mumbai Indians: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Naman Dhir, Corbin Bosch, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma
Lucknow Super Giants: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(wk/capt), Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav
