‘Mental strength makes a huge difference’: Mayank Yadav contemplates comeback after 21 months

India fast bowler Mayank Yadav said improving his mental state and understanding his body better during rehabilitation helped him make a successful comeback after a 21-month injury layoff.Returning to Indian colors after almost two years, Mayank returned with a four-match 2/18 as India restricted Zimbabwe to 125/7 in the opening T20I of the three-match series at the Harare Sports Club on Thursday.The pacer, who underwent surgery on a fatigue fracture in his back in Christchurch, New Zealand in July 2025, made an immediate impact by dismissing Brian Bennett with the very first ball of the innings. Bowling consistently above 140km/h, he pulled out seam movement and bounce to trouble the Zimbabwean batsmen during his spell.“It’s always a great feeling to come back and play for your country and especially bowl like this type of spell. It’s a fantastic feeling and I don’t think I can put it into words.”“Obviously it was there because I was coming after two years and there is always pressure when you come to play for your country. So I was a bit nervous. But my thought and my plan was very simple, just use my strength and keep bowling,” Mayank said during a mid-innings interview with TV stations.He added that the early goal helped him settle quickly.“Definitely after the first ball goal, I calmed down a lot. I gained confidence. I play after a while, but I can still deliver with my skills, the power that I have; it will help me a lot for these types of goals.”Reflecting on his recovery, Mayank said the biggest change came mentally rather than physically.“There’s a lot of things: physical preparation, mental. When you’re injured and at that stage, mental strength makes a huge difference for any player.“So I think more than physically, for me, mentally I’ve improved a lot and I’ve gotten to know my body a lot after the surgery and after the rehab. So it’s a huge difference for me,” he concluded.India completed a comfortable seven-wicket victory, largely thanks to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s explosive half-century. The teenager raced to his fifty in just 18 balls, his first big innings in international cricket, scoring 50 off 19 deliveries with four fours and four sixes.After Mayank and the bowlers restricted Zimbabwe to 125/7, India chased down the target in 13.2 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.