A childhood dream motivated me: Mayank Yadav impressed on injury comeback

Results in brief: India (126/3 in 13.2 ovs) beat Zimbabwe (125/7) by seven wickets in the first T20I in Harare. sooryavanshi (50)

India pacer Mayank Yadav has described his injury-enforced two-year absence from international cricket as the toughest phase of his young career, saying repeated setbacks tested him mentally during what should have been the formative years of his career.

In his first appearance for India since October 2024, the Delhi quick returned in style with figures of 2 for 18 in four matches against Zimbabwe in the first T20I in Harare on Thursday. He was named man of the match after he struck with the very first ball of the match and consistently troubled the batsmen with high pace.

ZIM vs IND 1st T20I: SCORECARD | MAIN DATA

After India’s comfortable victory, Mayank admitted that the road back was not easy.

“It was very tough. The two-year gap was very challenging for me as a person. I was only 22-23 at the time, so it always affected me to have to go through so much at such a young age,” Mayank said at the post-match press conference.

“But at the same time, the motivation to play for the country is every player’s childhood dream. That was the motivation for me – to return for the country and perform.”

The 24-year-old said the conditions in Harare suited his bowling style and helped him quickly settle into his comeback game.

“I heard a lot about Zimbabwe that there is good help for fast bowlers. It was my first time playing in Harare and it was great. I was getting a lot of help from the wicket and I think that helped me to contribute to the team.”

Mayank also praised captain Shreyas Iyer for giving the bowlers the freedom to execute their plans while remaining actively involved in tactical inputs.

“I am playing under his captaincy for the first time. During the match, I felt he showed a lot of confidence in the bowlers. Whatever I wanted to play, he supported it and whenever he gave me advice, I felt very confident to follow it. I felt very free to play under his captaincy.”

India attacked at an inexperienced pace in Harare, with Ashok Sharma and Prince Yadav also appearing alongside Mayank. Temper said the group constantly exchanged ideas during Zimbabwe’s innings.

“We don’t talk much about pace, but we have a very good bond. Whatever help I got in the first match, I shared it with Ashok and Prince – what was the better option and how we could attack. We always have a good chat.”

Mayank’s return came after a frustrating period where injuries repeatedly hampered his progress. He also missed India A’s tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year and endured a difficult IPL campaign, taking no wickets in four matches.

However, there were encouraging signs against Zimbabwe from the start. He set a sharp pace, regularly jumping at high speeds of 140km/h and looked completely in control throughout his four-time spell.

‘VAIBHAV CAN GO VERY FAR’

Temper also reserved special praise for 15-year-old opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose maiden international half-century helped India chase down the target with ease.

“His batting is incredible. When I bowled him, he played some shots that you can’t expect from a player so young with so little experience. He always gives you a new experience and he’s great to watch.”

Mayank believes that Sooryavanshi has the talent to enjoy a long international career. “I think he can go a long way because the talent he has at that age is amazing. I never imagined a 15-year-old kid would come and blow everyone up like that. It feels great to be in his team now because in the IPL when we played against him he blew us away like anything.”

The fast bowler said Sooryavanshi’s first T20I fifty will give the teenager a significant boost of confidence after a lean run in the last series.

“I think it’s going to be a very special moment for him. He hasn’t had very good matches in the last two series and now he’s got his first half-century for the country. That’s always a very special moment for any player, and especially for a 15-year-old boy. The way he smashed the ball was brilliant.”

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

Jul 24, 2026 0:48 AM IST