India pacer Mayank Yadav admitted his two-year absence from international cricket was one of the toughest phases of his career after making a memorable return with a Player of the Match performance in the first T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare.
The 24-year-old, who made his India debut in 2024 before injuries halted his progress, returned with figures of 2/18 in four overs to help India restrict Zimbabwe to 125/7. India then chased down the target with 40 balls to spare to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
‘I had to suffer so much at a young age’: Mayank Yadav
Reflecting on his long road back, Mayank said the extended layoff was mentally challenging, especially at such an early stage of his career.
“It was very difficult, especially the gap of two years was a challenge because age wasn’t on my side. I was just 22-23 years old. I felt that I had to suffer so much at a young age. At the same time, the motivation to play for the country was always there. So I wanted to make a comeback and perform as I did before.”
India fielded an inexperienced pace unit in Harare, with Prince Yadav having played only four T20Is before the match and Ashok Sharma making his international debut. Despite limited experience, Mayank said the fast bowlers relied on communication and teamwork rather than discussing raw pace.
After bowling the opening over, he shared feedback with his fellow seamers on how to exploit the conditions and maintain pressure on Zimbabwe’s batters.
“We don’t talk a lot about pace, but we have a nice bond. I bowled the first over today, so I shared inputs with Prince and Ashok about the assistance I got and the better options to attack. We were in a very good situation after the first six overs. So the conversations were about how much more we can squeeze them and what more we could bowl.”
India makes winning start under Shreyas Iyer
India’s convincing win not only gave them a 1-0 lead in the series but also marked Shreyas Iyer’s first T20I victory as India’s captain, ending a run of six defeats and one no-result in his previous matches in charge.
For Mayank, the performance was a significant milestone as he announced his return to international cricket after a lengthy injury layoff with a match-winning display.