Mayank Yadav: Rebuilding the 150kph dream, with an eye on the 2027 ODI World Cup | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: A video of Mayank Yadav training with Team India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill in Mohali went viral recently on social media. It comes on the heels of the tearaway quick shifting his training base to Chandigarh, where he is working with Gaurav Sharma, the city-based physio who also serves as the head physio of IPL franchise Gujarat Titans (GT).“He reached out to me after IPL 2026. Before going to Zimbabwe, he trained in Chandigarh for three weeks. He got the desired results, and he is (now) training for the upcoming West Indies series,” Sharma tells TimesofIndia.com.Mayank has had a terrible couple of years since bursting onto the scene during IPL 2024, where he impressed with his raw pace. Then a spate of injuries derailed his career. Last year, during one of the Ranji Trophy matches at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, he joked: “Lumbar stress fracture, lower back spasm, toe injury, side strain, hamstring… rehne do bhaiya, list lambi (the list is long),” he told this reporter while getting into his car outside the stadium.Mayank’s injury woes have been compounded by freak setbacks, with the fast bowler twice picking up a new injury while recovering from another. In May 2025, for instance, he injured his toe after accidentally jamming it against the side of his bed, resulting in a laceration that later became infected.He made his comeback during IPL 2026, where his pace was low, and the trolling was immediate. Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop came to Mayank’s defence.“To see negative comments about Mayank Yadav today is horrifying. The kid nearly lost his career & livelihood at 21yrs. Just to see him play again is huge boost. The fact that he clocked 150kph again is a miracle. At 23yrs just pray for him that he stays fit. The control will come,” Bishop wrote on X.Now, a few months later, those tracking his development closely say the youngster is consistently touching the 150kph mark again.“At this moment, Mayank is doing really well. He had a back injury. He underwent surgery for the same, and the body takes time. At present, he has no injury. I am just taking care of him so that he does not pick up any injury going forward,” says Sharma, who has also worked with Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Naman Dhir and Prabhsimran Singh, to name a few.

“The second thing is that we are working on his workload management. We are increasing the load slowly and steadily, and he is working on it very well,” says Sharma.Mayank last played in the Delhi Premier League (DPL), where he featured in seven matches for East Delhi Riders and picked up eight wickets.It has been learnt that Mayank is bowling 10 overs in three and a half hours during his training. The spells are divided into three. With the new ball, Mayank is bowling five overs, then three, and finishes it up with two overs. Out of the 60 balls he bowls daily, he consistently touches the 150kph mark, while his average speed remains in the higher 140s.

Devender Sharma, who has worked with Mayank during his formative years, says Mayank has been told to be ready for the 2027 ODI World Cup.“They want him to be ready for longer formats as well. He is bowling close to 12-15 overs per day for the last six months or so,” says Devender.Gaurav explains how he has planned out a programme for Mayank and how he is going through it day by day.“With Mayank, the first thing was how we can gradually increase his workload. And once his workload hits the peak, how do we manage it at that level so that it does not come down?” he explains.

“So, this is a day-by-day process. We assess what we want to see, and then we are able to do what we want them to do. That allows us to progress day by day.”Above all, Sharma feels it is all about confidence, especially when it comes to Mayank, who has gone through so many injuries in his young career.“Definitely, working with a fast bowler is a challenge. With a fast bowler, there are very different biomechanics, so the chances of injury are higher. If we take into account the toll on the joints, muscles and body, and understand the mechanics of the bowler, his action and his lifestyle, then it becomes easier to work with him,” he says.

“And when it comes to Mayank, we are talking about an India player. The most important thing for them is confidence. He wants to know whether I am able to give him that confidence and whether I have the answer to the question he has come to me with. I have to be very truthful with myself.

“If I am giving an answer, I have to be absolutely sure that the answer is right. It cannot be hypothetical. If I am research-oriented and I know what I am doing, I should also be able to prove it in the future. That is the most important thing. Then, day by day, when we work together, that trust is built because the results of the assessment become visible. That is how things work,” he adds.For Mayank, the road back is no longer about proving how fast he can bowl. He has already shown that he can set the speed guns on fire. The bigger challenge now is sustaining that pace, building the workload required for the longer formats and, most importantly, staying on the park. With the 2027 ODI World Cup in the near future, the process has begun.