Fast bowling sensation Mayank Yadav has not been able to make his presence felt like he did in his first Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) season last year. The speedster, who was retained for a whopping 11 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, missed the first nine games for LSG and only returned for the franchise's last two games. The youngster's comeback has so far not gone according to plan, as he is leaking runs at 12.50 runs per over.
Against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Sunday, May 04, Yadav looked completely off-color as he gave away 60 runs in his four overs. The pacer's comeback has coincided with LSG's slump in form, as they have lost a hat trick of games. Former CSK player Ambati Rayudu shared his thoughts on the LSG player's performance after the long injury layoff and blamed the management for showing extreme desperation in getting him back in the playing XI.
"I think it is a lack of confidence more than pace because once you are coming back from an injury, it is really hard to really bend your back and get back at your best. We have seen Archer, it took him six months to be back at his best. It will be tough if we say he (Mayank Yadav) is not performing, but LSG might have just shown some desperation to just get him into the mix, maybe he is not ready yet," Rayudu said on ESPNCricinfo.
PBKS jump to second position on the points table on account of a thumping victory against LSG
Meanwhile, PBKS continued to impress as they beat LSG by 37 runs to jump to second position on the IPL 2025 points table. The victory was set up by Prabhsimran Singh's blistering 48-ball 91 runs as PBKS posted a colossal 236 runs for the loss of five wickets. Later, speedster Arshdeep Singh claimed three wickets for just 16 runs in four overs, as LSG could post only 199 runs for 7 wickets in 20 overs.
This third loss in a row has now put LSG's playoff spot in jeopardy, as they will now be required to win all three games and get to 16 points. However, even that could not be enough for a playoff spot, as their net run rate is on the negative side.
