Harare, Jul 23 (PTI): India pacer Mayank Yadav has described the two-year injury-enforced absence from international cricket as the most difficult phase of his young career, admitting that battling repeated setbacks at the age of 22-23 tested him mentally.

Playing his first game for India since October 2024, against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on Thursday, the injury-prone speedster cranked up serious pace from the get-go.

He said the dream of representing the country kept him going during the difficult rehabilitation period.

"It was very difficult. The two-year gap was very challenging for me as a person... I was only 22-23 years old at that time, so that always affected me that I had to go through so much at such a young age," Mayank said at the post-match press conference after helping India win the opening T20I comfortably.

"But at the same time, the motivation to play for the country is every player's childhood dream. That was the motivation for me – to come back for the country and perform." The Delhi speedster said the conditions in Harare suited his style of bowling and helped him make an immediate impact on his return.

"I had heard a lot about Zimbabwe, that there is good help for the fast bowlers here. This is my first time playing in Harare and it felt great. I was getting a lot of help from the wicket and I think that helped me contribute to the team." Mayank also praised captain Shreyas Iyer for giving his bowlers complete freedom while remaining actively involved with tactical inputs.

"I am playing under his captaincy for the first time. During the match I felt he showed a lot of confidence in the bowlers. Whatever I wanted to bowl, he backed it, and whenever he gave advice, I felt very confident in following it. I felt very free playing under his captaincy." The 24-year-old also highlighted the healthy communication among India's pace unit, saying he regularly exchanged ideas with fellow fast bowlers Ashok Sharma and Prince Yadav during the innings.

"We don't talk much about pace but we have a very good bond. Whatever help I got in my first over, I shared it with Ashok and Prince – what was the better option and how we could attack. We always have good conversations." Mayank reserved special praise for 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, describing his stroke-play as extraordinary for someone so young.

"His batting is unbelievable. When I bowled to him, he played some shots that you can't expect from such a young player with so little experience. He always gives you a new experience and it's great to watch him." The pacer, who had endured a punishing outing against Sooryavanshi during the IPL, believes the teenager has the talent to reach the very top.

"I think he can go very far because the talent he has at this age is fabulous. I never imagined a 15-year-old guy would come and smash everyone like that. It’s a great feeling to be in his team now because in the IPL, when we were playing against him, he smacked us like anything." Mayank said Sooryavanshi's maiden international fifty in Harare, where he had earlier scored a century in the Under-19 World Cup final, would give the youngster immense confidence.

"I think it will be a very special moment for him. He didn’t have very good matches in the last couple of series and now he has got his first half-century for the country. That's always a very special moment for any player, and especially for a 15-year-old kid. The way he smashed the ball was great." PTI AH AH PDS

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