LSG vs RR: After 353-day injury layoff, tearaway pacer Mayank Yadav makes IPL return
Lucknow Super Giants received a timely boost ahead of their IPL 2026 fixture against Rajasthan Royals, with tearaway quick Mayank Yadav returning to the playing XI after a 353-day injury layoff. Captain Rishabh Pant won the toss and chose to bowl at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, as LSG looked to arrest a slide following back-to-back defeats.
LSG vs RR: Updates | Scorecard
Rajasthan Royals, led by Riyan Parag, named an unchanged side, persisting with their combination despite a patchy run. Lucknow, on the other hand, made two adjustments, bringing in leg-spinner Digvesh Singh Rathi in place of M Siddharth, while Mayank Yadav replaced Avesh Khan to mark his first appearance of the season.
The return of Mayank, one of the fastest bowlers India has produced in recent years, comes after a prolonged battle with injuries. The right-arm pacer has been sidelined primarily due to a severe lower back stress fracture, which ruled him out of most of IPL 2025 and the initial phase of the ongoing season.
Mayank last featured for LSG in May 2025 against Punjab Kings, where he endured a difficult outing, going wicketless while conceding 60 runs in his four overs. He had played just two matches last season, having earlier picked up two wickets against Mumbai Indians before being sidelined once again.
Despite his limited appearances, Mayank grabbed headlines during IPL 2024 with his sheer pace, including a delivery clocked at 156.7 kmph, one of the fastest recorded in the tournament's history. However, pushing his body to the limit has also contributed to recurring fitness concerns, delaying his return to consistent action.
On the eve of the match, Aiden Markram offered a positive update on the young pacer's fitness and readiness. "The last I heard is he's fit and firing. A fit and firing Mayank Yadav adds great selection headaches to any team that he's in, he's an X-factor bowler," Markram told reporters ahead of the clash.
Pant, addressing LSG's recent struggles, emphasised the need to find the right balance while maintaining continuity in selection.
"Still figuring out what's best with regards to our team [combination]. Last few matches have been challenging. Need to figure out a way to play here on home soil. Mostly it's about subtle changes, you want to keep the stability," Pant said at the toss.
The LSG captain also reiterated his faith in Nicholas Pooran, who has endured a lean patch this season. Pooran has managed just 51 runs in six innings and currently has the lowest strike rate among batters who have faced at least 50 balls this season.
"A player who has shown so much potential, you want to trust him regardless," Pant said of Pooran.
RR captain Parag admitted he did not mind batting first, even if the decision at the toss was not entirely straightforward.
"We've batted well, against KKR, made some miscalculations in the middle overs. Message is we need to play 40 overs of good cricket. Hopefully we'll do that," Parag said.
With Mayank Yadav back in the XI, LSG will hope the express pacer can provide the X-factor they have missed in recent games and help them regain momentum in the tournament.
Playing XIs:
Rajasthan Royals (bat first): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (capt), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma, Nandre Burger
Lucknow Super Giants (bowl first): Mitchell Marsh, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Mayank Yadav
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