Will Mayank Yadav play the next game for Lucknow Super Giants after joining the team on Tuesday night?

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have been handed a huge boost ahead of the their next Indian Premier League (IPL) game on Saturday. Rishabh Pant and his side are set to play Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday. Ahead of the key encounter, LSG put out a short video which showed Mayank Yadav linking up with his teammates at the team hotel. 

⚡ 𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐊 ⚡ 𝐘𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐕 ⚡ 𝐈𝐒 ⚡ 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 ⚡ pic.twitter.com/c0G5p3svMA

— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) April 16, 2025

Mayank Yadav made his IPL debut last year and turned heads with his pace. The right-arm seamer clocked 156.7 KPH last season before getting injured. Yadav, then played a handful of matches for India in the T20I series against Bangladesh at home. It was expected that the seamer will join the team at some point in the season. 

According to reports, Mayank Yadav will undergo a fitness test ahead of the game against RR on Saturday. Times of India reported that Ashish Kaushik who is the head physio for LSG is set to put the pacer under the lens despite getting a clearance from BCCI. 

The latest news will be welcomed by LSG fans who have seen their team lose their last game against Chennai Super Kings. Pant and his side lost the game after winning three games in succession to move to the top half of the table. Pant and his side will want to have Mayank Yadav back in the side to boost their chances of making it to the playoffs. 

Former India batter expresses displeasure with Pant’s batting

Rishabh Pant scored his first half-century for LSG in their loss to Chennai on Monday. Former India batter Wasim Jaffer wasn’t happy with Pant despite his return to form. Jaffer was speaking to ESPN Cricinfo and asked Pant to learn from Kohli in terms of strike rotation. 

“I don't know whether he looks to do that [rotate strike]; Kohli is a master at that. He gets off strike so nicely, as he can play all around. But Pant sometimes does get stuck, and that's the issue. Then he goes for that big shot. I just feel he needs to get better at rotating strike as well,” said Wasim Jaffer. 

The former Indian opener also added, “I feel he never looks to hit straight, he always looks to go towards the leg side, towards square leg, cow corner. He hit one straight six right towards the end against CSK. Otherwise, at the start of the innings, he was always looking to go towards the leg side, or that reverse scoop that he played, but that was the only thing."