Irfan Pathan has made it clear that IPL 2026 could prove to be a pivotal season for Mayank Yadav, urging the young fast bowler to justify the faith reposed in him by Lucknow Supergiants. Mayank burst onto the scene in IPL 2024 with raw speed, hitting 150 kmph consistently, but injuries have since hampered his progress. Despite his limited exposure, LSG retained him for ₹11 crore ahead of the 2025 mega auction, indicating strong support. However, he only featured in two matches that season. Recently, he returned to action with two outings for India A during the T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up and is now fully fit, working under bowling coach Bharat Irwin ahead of the new IPL season.
Pathan pointed out that the franchise’s patience needs to be rewarded now. “Mayanik Yadav has played six matches in two years, it is not enough. He is a retained player, he has to be available this year, if there is no place for him in the team, then it is different, the franchise has supported him. Mohsin Khan was completely missed last year, and he did not play all the matches in the previous season either. But he has no other matches. MI does it, but many franchises lose patience after a season or two.” Pathan said on his YouTube channel. On the bowling front, Pathan feels that LSG have plenty of depth despite the omission of Akash Deep. کی اہمیت پر روشنی ڈالی۔ Muhammad ShamiWhich is expected to lead the attack. “His fast bowling is quite strong, he has a lot of options. Shami has played a lot of domestic cricket, he is in rhythm, and he is experienced. Everyone knows that if there are seaming conditions, you will bank two overs with Shami. Last year he had to bowl on flat wickets in Hyderabad. I think he will get a lot of help from the Lucknow pitch,” Pathan added. Shami will be supported by a strong Indian pace unit that includes Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Prince Yadav, Arjun Tendulkar, and Naman Tiwary. Pathan also shed light on LSG’s journey as a franchise, suggesting they are still trying to define their identity after four seasons. The team has gone through several changes in coaching staff and branding, moving beyond the early pillars like KL Rahul, Ravi Bishnoi, and Marcus Stoins. “This is a team that is searching for its identity. If you look at Mumbai Indians, you associate them with the greats Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah. Then you associate Chennai with MS Dhoni, and RCB with Virat Kohli. Lucknow is quite a young team in comparison. It seemed like Gautam Gambhar’s team has been working for a long time to stamp.” Since leaving LSG, moved to KKR, and is now with the Indian team. This team has a lot of potential,” explained Pathan. The franchise, which made the playoffs in its first two seasons under Rahul before crashing out in the eliminators, has struggled since then, finishing seventh in the last two editions.
