Injured fast bowler Mayank Yadav is set to take a page out of Jasprit Bumrah’s book to deal with his ongoing back issues. Sources told IANS that Yadav is likely headed to New Zealand for surgery on his troublesome back. Dr. Rowan Schouten, a well-known spine surgeon in Christchurch, is expected to handle the procedure. He has previously operated on Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna this year, along with Australian bowlers Jason Behrendorff and James Pattinson.

Last year, Dr. Schouten and another surgeon worked on Cameron Green after he had a stress fracture in his lower back. Sources confirmed that Yadav will undergo similar surgery to Bumrah’s. They mentioned that the pre- and post-surgery process will be pretty much the same.

This surgical approach is thought to be a good way to improve Yadav’s chances of sticking around as a fast bowler. He’s been informed about the plan and should be flying to New Zealand in a few days. After the surgery, he’ll likely need to stay for around three to four weeks for rehab.

Having the same doctor who worked on Bumrah increases the hope that Yadav will avoid further back issues down the line. Yadav made his debut for India in October 2024 during T20Is against Bangladesh, but was sidelined for the 2024/25 domestic season due to a back stress issue. His return to IPL 2025 with the Lucknow Super Giants got delayed again because of a toe infection he got from kicking his bed.

After joining the Super Giants on April 16, Yadav only played two matches in this year’s IPL against Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings, where his pace was noticeably lower than last year. Then, after a break in the tournament due to tensions between India and Pakistan, Yadav had to sit out the Super Giants’ campaign because his back issues flared up again, leading the team to sign New Zealand bowler Will O’Rourke as a replacement.

By following Bumrah’s recovery plan for his similar injury, there’s hope that Mayank Yadav will bounce back and have a strong return to competitive cricket, potentially even rejoining the Indian team.