The BCCI Centre of Excellence, previously known as the NCA, is facing a tough situation after India’s fastest bowler, Mayank Yadav, got sidelined again due to a back injury, which means he’s out for the rest of the IPL. The IPL’s media release confirmed that he won’t be returning this season. In his place, New Zealand’s William O’Rourke will join the Lucknow Super Giants for the remainder of the tournament.
Mayank had just returned after a six-month recovery with the Sports Science and Medical team at the COE. He played two matches but gave up 100 runs in eight overs, bagging only two wickets. His speed had dropped by around 15 km/h, and his bowling action changed from side-on to chest-on.
In total, Mayank has played nine T20 games from March 30, 2024, to May 4, 2025, which is about 13 months. He played four T20s for Lucknow last year, making a name for himself with speeds in the mid-150s. Sadly, he first got injured in April that year, missing six months before making a quick return to the T20I team for the Bangladesh series. After that series, his back issues came back, forcing him to miss the domestic season while he went through rehab at the NCA and the new COE.
With Nitin Patel gone, it’s unclear who to ask about Mayank’s rehab process. There’s concern about whether he was cleared to play before ensuring his back was fully healed. A strength and conditioning coach who has worked at the old NCA shared with PTI that the timelines for Mayank’s and Umran Malik’s rehab have been a bit concerning.
At just 22, Mayank still has a lot of cricket ahead, but these ongoing injuries could make the selection committee doubt his reliability. He holds a BCCI pace bowler contract and has been under the board’s care for over a year, but these repeated setbacks might mean looking for advice from specialists outside, especially since the COE doesn’t seem to be addressing these issues well.
