Harare Sports Club: Fast bowler Mayank Yadav said the dream of representing India kept him motivated through a challenging 21-month injury lay-off as he marked his international return with a Player of the Match performance in India’s seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the opening T20I at the Harare Sports Club.
Returning to international cricket after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Mayank struck with the very first ball of the match and finished with impressive figures of 2-18. Along with fellow Delhi pacer Prince Yadav (2-19), he laid the foundation for India’s clinical victory before teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed a record-breaking 18-ball half-century to guide the visitors to a comfortable chase of 126 and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Reflecting on the difficult period away from the game, Mayank admitted that the lay-off tested him mentally. "It was very difficult, especially this two-year gap was very challenging for me as a person because the main thing is age wasn’t on my side at that time. I was only 22 or 23 years old," Mayank told reporters after the match.
