Mayank Yadav has spoken about a major change in his approach to fitness and recovery after battling multiple injuries, admitting that he had previously neglected his body before a surgery forced him to rethink everything. The 23-year-old fast bowler, who represents Lucknow Supergiants, went through a difficult phase that started with an injury during the season. IPL 2024, then had a serious back problem that kept him out for the rest of the 2025 season. After completing his rehabilitation at the Center of Excellence in Bengaluru, he is now gearing up for a comeback. Reflecting on his journey, Mayank admits how much his mindset changed after the surgery. “Everything has changed for me after the surgery. Before, I never took care of myself. Whenever I had to do a recovery session, I avoided it and neglected many aspects. But after the surgery, I focused a lot on recovery, nutrition and sleep. The more I respect my body, the more my body respects me,” he said on Jio’Live’s Live’s Today’s field. During his time at the National Cricket Academy, Mayank received valuable guidance Jaspreet Bumrahwho underwent a similar procedure. The young pacer stated. Along with As a mentor figure during the recovery phase. He said that when I was in rehabilitation at NCA, Bumrah Bhiya was also there. I have a very good relationship with them. He is like a teacher to me. He had the same surgery, the same scene. “Bumra Bhaiya shared his experience on how to come back after surgery and what to focus on. He told me how the body will be during recovery, how it will react. Sometimes it will feel good, sometimes not. Mayank, who recorded the fastest delivery by an Indian during IPL 2024, also spoke about when he first realized the potential of bowling at super speed. “When I first came to IPL, our trainers used to measure our bowling speed with a speed gun,” he said. That’s when I knew I had this talent, I had this gift. So now I have to respect that. He also acknowledged the physical and mental challenges associated with fast bowling. “With fast bowling, things are always a bit difficult whether you can do it or not. There is a lot of pressure on the body, physically and mentally.” Tracing his love of pace back to childhood, Mayank said he always gravitated towards fast bowling rather than spin. “When I played in the streets, I didn’t know how to spin, so I just bowled fast. My passion for fast bowling started from childhood. My father also used to show me a lot of fast bowling videos. “Mostly, when India played in South Africa, I used to watch those matches a lot. Morne Morkel And Dale Stein. Through them, I got the passion for fast bowling,” he said.
