Mayank Yadav's Successful Return to International Cricket After 21-Month Injury Layoff

India fast bowler Mayank Yadav said improving mentally and understanding his body better during rehabilitation helped him make a successful return after a 21-month injury layoff. Back in India's colours after nearly two years, Mayank returned figures of 2/18 in four overs 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 for a stress 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 140 kmph, he extracted seam movement and bounce to trouble Zimbabwe's batters throughout his spell.

"It's always a great feeling when you come back and play for your country and especially bowl like this, this type of spell. It's a fantastic feeling, and I don't think I can describe it well through my 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 little bit nervous. But my thinking and my plan was very simple to just execute my strength and just keep bowling," Mayank said during a mid-innings interview with the broadcasters. He added that the early wicket helped him settle quickly. "Definitely after the first ball wicket I calmed down a lot. I got confidence. I'm playing after a while, but still I can deliver with the skills I have, that strength I have; it will help me a lot on these types of wickets, especially."

Reflecting on his recovery, Mayank said the biggest change came mentally rather than physically. "There are a lot of things: physical training, mentally. When you're injured and, in that phase, mental strength makes a huge difference for any player. "So, I think more than physically, for me, mentally I got much better, and I knew my body a lot after the surgery and after the rehab. So, it makes a huge difference for me," he concluded.

India completed a comfortable seven-wicket victory, thanks largely to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's explosive half-century. The teenager raced to a fifty in just 18 balls, his first substantial 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.