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'I Was Not Taking Enough Protein' - Mayank Yadav Blames Vegetarian Diet For His Injury

Mayank Yadav- (Source: @Johns/X.com)Mayank Yadav- (Source: @Johns/X.com)

Lucknow Super Giants' star bowler Mayank Yadav is enjoying the best phase of his life as the 22-year-old earned his maiden India call-up for the upcoming three-match T20I series. Mayank Yadav broke into the scene in IPL 2024 when he troubled the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Cameron Green with his sheer pace. However, his IPL journey was cut short after he suffered a side-strain injury.

The right-arm seamer missed the remainder of the IPL and has not played any form of cricket since then. He was at the NCA and has now received a green light from the team doctors to play competitive cricket. In the latest events, Yadav opened up on his injury struggles and revealed that his vegetarian diet was one of the reasons behind his nature of injury.

Mayank Yadav Blames His Diet Behind Injury

"When I was with LSG, I went to Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala (one who treated Rishabh Pant and looks after India's Olympians). He told me my side strain was not a regular one. It happens to athletes in high-intensity sports like javelin or there must have been a major impact with an object. When I went to NCA after IPL, it was found that I was not taking enough protein. Since I am a strict vegetarian, I had to be given supplements. I had other niggles when I was about to get fit. It was agonizing, but people at NCA, like Troy Cooley and my trainer Rajnikanth, were helpful. I can tell you that I understand my body now," said Mayank Yadav speaking with Times Of India.

Mayank Yadav Opens Up On His Pace

Speaking with Times of India, Mayank also spoke in length about his pace and revealed that he wasn't aware of his pace. He Said: 

"I was not aware I could bowl this quick. I always thought I bowled at a pace which is normal for anybody. Devender Sharma sir (coach at Sonnet) and people in Delhi cricket would tell me I am bowling 150 kmph but I never believed them. In my first session at LSG in 2022, I bowled for a while. The support staff asked me to guess the speed of my deliveries. I said 140 kmph since I felt I bowled in a good rhythm. But then they told me I was bowling 149 and 150 kmph'throughout. That's when I realized I could bowl really quick."

Mayank is likely to make his debut in the first T20I against Bangladesh on October 6.