# Mayank Yadav back to full fitness after stress fracture surgery 2026-08-22T15:57:26+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Pacer Mayank Yadav is fully fit and ready for a fresh start after overcoming a stress fracture in his back that required surgery and sidelined him for nearly 18 months. The 24-year-old made his comeback for India in the T20I series against Zimbabwe last month, taking a wicket off his first ball and finishing with five scalps as India swept the series. Yadav had burst onto the scene in IPL 2024, clocking a top speed of 156.7 kmph for Lucknow Super Giants, and was quickly picked for the T20I series against Bangladesh in October 2024. But a stress fracture forced him into rehab and surgery. Now back, he is playing in the Delhi Premier League for East Delhi Riders to build workload, having taken seven wickets in six games at an average of 21.57. "I'm feeling 100% fit," Yadav told media on Friday. "It feels like my run of injuries is over. This is like the start of a new journey." During rehab, he stayed positive by focusing on the goal of playing for India again and playing PlayStation as a pastime. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Mayank Yadav's injury history is the worry for India's pace reserves. Stress fractures have derailed promising Indian fast bowlers before, including Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, though both returned to top level. Yadav's raw pace is rare, but the body of a 24-year-old who touches 156 kmph needs careful management. The BCCI medical team and Lucknow Super Giants will watch his workload closely in the coming domestic season and IPL 2025. The next real test is sustained fitness over a full IPL, not just a short series. Watch for whether he is picked for India's T20I squad in the home season starting September 2026. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Straight news story led with comeback, injury details and direct quotes, no editorialising. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: BCCI, India cricket team, IPL, Lucknow Super Giants, Mayank Yadav Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/mayank-yadav-back-to-full-fitness-after-stress-fracture-surgery/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/mayank-yadav-back-to-full-fitness-after-stress-fracture-surgery/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/