The national selectors have included promising pacer Mayank Yadav in a special camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) ahead of the T20I series against Bangladesh starting October 6. The camp is limited to a few players, including Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, and Abhishek Sharma.
Mayank, a 21-year-old from Delhi, has been at the NCA since the IPL due to a recurring side strain. He burst onto the scene in the last IPL, clocking over 156 kmph in his first two matches. The selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, has identified him as a future prospect in their quest to build a strong pool of pace bowlers.
“Mayank hasn’t complained of any pain over the last month or so. He is bowling full tilt at the NCA. The selectors are interested to see how ready he is for international cricket. With the long Test season ahead, the selectors are keen on trying new faces for the T20Is against Bangladesh. Pandya has not played competitive cricket for nearly a couple of months. Even Abhishek needs some quality practice,” a BCCI source said.
The selectors are expected to rest Test specialists for the T20I series, opening up an opportunity to try out new players, keeping the T20 World Cup in 2026 in mind.
The NCA team has charted a roadmap for Mayank’s comeback. For now, he has been asked to start with T20 cricket. He hasn’t been cleared to play Ranji Trophy for Delhi yet.
“Mayank is bowling close to 20 overs with the white ball in three separate spells in a day. There is a strong chance of selectors picking him for the Bangladesh series after seeing him in the camp at NCA. Agarkar is slated to travel to Bengaluru to attend the inauguration of the new NCA,” the source said.
While Mayank is yet to receive a clearance for Ranji Trophy, it is understood that selectors may ask him to travel with the Indian team during the three-Test series against New Zealand at home next month.
“The selectors don’t want him to be restricted to just the T20 format. Therefore, they want to carefully monitor his progress. India head coach Gautam Gambhir and bowling coach Morne Morkel rate Mayank highly since their time at Lucknow Super Giants,” he said.
With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj set to be rested for the T20I series, Arshdeep Singh is likely to lead the attack. The likes of Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, and Harshit Rana are also in the mix.
