Mayank Yadav reveals Gautam Gambhir's secret role in his maiden call-up for Team India

Young pace bowling sensation Mayank Yadav opened up about the support from Gautam Gambhir and Morne Morkel to get a call-up from Team India.

Mayank Yadav said that he was struggling to even find a sponsor for his shoes despite being part of a team in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Mayank made his IPL debut with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL 2024. He worked with Gautam Gambhir and Morne Morkel during his stint with LSG.

Gambhir served as mentor for the first two seasons, while Morkel was the bowling coach before taking a job with India's men's cricket team.

Gambhir is the head coach of India, with Morkel as the bowling coach. Mayank received his maiden call-up from the national cricket team for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh. He is likely to make his debut for the Indian team in the upcoming series, which is set to commence on October 6.

Gautam Gambhir had Once Told Me - Mayank Yadav

In an interview with The Times of India, Mayank Yadav recalled advice from Gautam Gambhir, who said that some players receive several opportunities while others might only get one chance to prove themselves. He said that Gambhir and Vijay Dahiya, the former coach at LSG, helped him stay motivated.

"Gautam bhaiya had once told me that there will be players who get multiple chances to prove themselves, and there will be some who will get just one opportunity," Mayank told The Times of India.

"I was struggling to even find a sponsor for my shoe despite being in an IPL team and having played for Delhi. Gautam bhaiya’s words stayed with me. He and Vijay Dahiya (former coach at LSG) had clearly told me that I would get my first game after one or two years," he added.

Morne Morkel Will Mostly Talk About Strategies - Mayank Yadav

Mayank Yadav said that when he received his chance this year, he knew he had to make it count. The fast bowler said that he received offers for his bowling shoes following his IPL debut. Mayank said that Morne Morkel doesn’t speak much but provides valuable feedback regarding strategies.

"When the opportunity came this year, I had to make it count. The day after my IPL debut, I got offers for my bowling shoes. As far as Morne is concerned, he doesn’t speak much. If he observes anything then he will come and point it out. He will mostly talk about strategies," Mayank concluded.

Mayank Yadav made a notable impact in his IPL debut against the Punjab Kings, taking 3 wickets for 27 runs. He continued with a performance of 3 wickets for 14 runs against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. However, he then played only a couple of matches in the IPL 2024 season due to fitness issues.

The 22-year-old has been fast-tracked into international cricket despite not playing any competitive matches since April 30. Mayank has only played one first-class match for Delhi. He has played 17 List A games and 14 T20s, taking 34 and 19 wickets, respectively.

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