The recurring back injury of pace sensation Mayank Yadav has left the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (formerly the National Cricket Academy) red-faced, following his withdrawal from the remainder of the IPL 2025 season.
“Yadav sustained a back injury and is ruled out for the remainder of the season,” read an official statement from the IPL. Lucknow Super Giants have named New Zealand fast bowler William O’Rourke as his replacement for the rest of the tournament.
Fast and Furious! Kiwi pacer Will O’Rourke joins the Super Giants family! 💙
He replaces Mayank Yadav who is set to miss the rest of the season due to injury. pic.twitter.com/Gq8YKY8oTs
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) May 15, 2025
Yadav had returned to action after spending six months in rigorous rehabilitation under the supervision of the Sports Science and Medical team at the COE. However, in the two matches he played this season, the young pacer conceded 100 runs across eight overs and managed to claim only two wickets. His pace noticeably dipped by at least 15 kmph, and his bowling action had visibly changed, from a side-on to a chest-on delivery stride, following a technical reworking of his action.
Between March 30, 2024, and May 4, 2025, Mayank featured in just nine T20 games. He had made an explosive entry into the IPL scene last year, consistently clocking speeds in excess of 150 kmph for Lucknow in four games. However, a stress-related back injury cut short his breakthrough campaign in April 2024.
Despite the setback, he was quickly ushered back into India’s T20I squad for the series against Bangladesh later that year, thanks to the backing of chief selector Ajit Agarkar and mentor Gautam Gambhir. But the injury returned by the end of that series, ruling him out of the entire domestic season. Once again, he was confined to an extensive rehab stint at the newly inaugurated COE.
A prominent strength and conditioning expert who previously worked at the NCA raised pointed concerns. “Now that Nitin Patel has left, you don`t know who should one ask about what exactly has been Mayank`s line of rehabilitation. Also the next question that needs to be asked is whether he was prematurely given the fit certificate without ensuring that his back injury could resurface within two games? You can call it COE or whatever but the timeline of Mayank Yadav and Umran Malik`s injury rehab leaves a lot to be desired,” he told PTI on condition of anonymity.
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