India pacer Mayank Yadav finally returned to international cricket after nearly two years on the sidelines and did not shy away from speaking about the difficult phase he endured during his long injury layoff. The Delhi speedster, who played his first game for India since October 2024 in the opening T20I against Zimbabwe, admitted that the prolonged absence tested him mentally at a very young age.
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Mayank reflects on difficult two-year absence
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Mayank revealed that repeatedly dealing with injuries during his early twenties was one of the toughest experiences of his career. The 24-year-old admitted that the long rehabilitation period affected him personally, but said the dream of representing India kept him motivated throughout.
"It was very difficult. The two-year gap was very challenging for me as a person... I was only 22-23 years old at that time, so that always affected me that I had to go through so much at such a young age."
Mayank added that wearing the Indian jersey has always been his biggest motivation, saying his childhood dream of playing for the country helped him stay focused on making a successful comeback. He also felt the conditions in Harare suited his bowling style, allowing him to settle in quickly after such a lengthy absence.
Dream return as India cruise past Zimbabwe
Mayank Yadav made an immediate impact in his comeback game, bowling with his trademark express pace and consistently attacking the top of the off stump. The right-arm quick dismissed two Zimbabwe batters inside the powerplay and conceded just 18 runs in his four-over spell, finishing with figures of 2/18.
His disciplined spell helped India restrict Zimbabwe to 124, before the visitors chased down the target comfortably in 13.2 overs for the loss of just three wickets.
For his outstanding performance in his first international appearance after almost two years, Mayank was adjudged the Player of the Match, marking a memorable return to Team India.