Mayank Yadav unlikely to play next two games: Justin Langer

Justin Langer, Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) head coach, has provided a major update regarding the fitness of the young pace sensation Mayank Yadav. Langer has indicated that Mayank is unlikely to take part in LSG's upcoming two matches in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

In Lucknow's previous clash against Gujarat Titans, the 21-year-old was forced to leave the field after bowling only one over, due to a suspected side strain. Vinod Bisht, the CEO of the franchise, subsequently confirmed that the youngster experienced discomfort in his lower abdominal area. Meanwhile, on the eve of LSG's clash against Delhi Capitals (DC), Langer confirmed the presence of a minor swelling in that area in an MRI scan.

"He felt a little bit of tightness at the top of his hip leading into the last game, but that was about a one-out-of-ten pain, and we thought that there were clinical signs. Everything through the doctors and the physios seemed perfectly okay. He bowled that first over [against Titans] and started feeling something in his hip. But we had an MRI scan, and there is a very, very small swelling in there. So we are very hopeful he'll start building himself up and be back bowling again soon," Langer was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. 

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LSG will play Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens just two days after hosting DC. Langer stated that quick succession of matches poses further challenges for Mayank's recovery. Despite this, he expressed positivity about his return to bowling.

"That's the plan [to have Mayank fit for the match against Chennai Super Kings on April 19]. We want him to play every game if possible. But he'll be working towards it; he's working very hard every day to be ready for whatever our next game is. He won't play tomorrow; it's unlikely... with the very short turnaround, it's unlikely that he plays these two games. But he's certainly working towards playing whenever he possibly can," the coach added.

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Mohsin Khan might be available to play against KKR: Langer 

Langer expects Mohsin Khan's availability for LSG's clash against the two-time champions in Kolkata. However, the coach has confirmed that he will not be taking part in the game against DC on Friday, April 12. Notably, Mohsin played the first two matches of the season but sustained a hamstring injury thereafter, forcing him to miss the following two matches.

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"He's out there bowling now. He had a little bit of disc flare up in his back. He and Mayank are very important to us. He [Mohsin] has gone through all the treatment - it's really good to have an excellent medical staff. He's bowling today in the middle. He might be available tomorrow, but more than likely - and hopefully - we'll be looking at the Kolkata game, where that extra pace will be valuable. But he's on the right path - fingers crossed," the head coach said further.