Mayank Yadav reveals Gautam Gambhir's 'don't think about trying different things' warning before India debut

Fast bowler Mayank Yadav finally made his much-awaited international debut during the first T20I between India and Bangladesh at Gwalior. The young fast bowler from Delhi was highly impressive and finished with 1-21 in four overs.

After the match, Mayank revealed the advice that he received from India's captain Suryakumar Yadav, and head coach Gautam Gambhir before the game. While Suryakumar advised Mayank to stay away from variations, Gambhir wanted him to stick to the basics.

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Mayank Yadav speaks on his international debut

While speaking to Jio Cinema after India's win, Mayank Yadav admitted that he was nervous before the match as he had not played any competitive game since the IPL. He also thanked those who helped in his recovery from the injury and claimed that it was a tough period for all of them.

“I was indeed excited but was a bit more nervous. This series marked my comeback after the injury. I didn’t play competitive cricket and then directly made my debut. That’s why I was a little more nervous,” Mayank said to the broadcaster.

“The recovery period was tough for more. Quite a lot of ups and downs were there in the last 4 months. But more than me, it was tougher for the people who worked with me,” the young fast bowler added.

Mayank Yadav reveals Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav's advice

Mayank Yadav also revealed that he was asked to stick to his basics and continue to do the things that have worked in the past for him. According to Mayank, Gambhir asked him not to overthink anything and just follow the process for good results.

“Nothing extra, he [Gautam Gambhir] asked me to stick to the basics and do the things that have yielded positive results for me in the past. He asked me not to think much about trying different things or even think that it was an international game. Following the process was the key,” Yadav mentioned.

Meanwhile, India captain Suryakumar Yadav advised Mayank to keep bowling fast without going for variations. However, the low bounce at Gwalior prompted him to bowl slower balls as well.

"I had a word with my captain and he asked me to rely on my stalk ball more than trying out variations. But coming to Gwalior, the wicket didn’t have much bounce so I changed my pace accordingly,” Mayank revealed.

Gautam Gambhir has previously shared the dressing room with Mayank Yadav during the IPL. Mayank was signed by Lucknow Super Giants and Gambhir was the mentor of Lucknow Super Giants. As a result, Gambhir has seen the youngster from the closed eyes and knows what works better for him.

“Today I focused more on my body" - Mayank Yadav

The 22-year-old pacer from Delhi further added that he focused on bowling a good line and length rather than bowling fast. He tried to bowl defensive lines and make it difficult for the batters to score runs.

“Today I focused more on my body. Also, I was determined to hit the proper lengths instead of bowling faster. I didn’t think about my speed. I just tried leaking the least runs possible and bowling at a proper line and length. I did bowl the slower ones in the IPL as well but not much," Mayank explained.

Mayank Yadav made headlines in IPL 2024 when he breached the 150 kph mark on several occasions. He played just 4 matches in the tournament and picked up 7 wickets at an average of 12.14. But soon after, he got injured and was ruled out of the whole season.

Since then, he did not play any professional matches and continued to recover from the injury in the National Cricket Academy (NCA). The fast bowler was selected for the ongoing series and is seen as the future of Indian cricket.