Three LSG pacers await NCA clearance ahead of IPL 2025
15 Mar 2025

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have a major challenge ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.

Three of their key pacers—Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, and Mohsin Khan are awaiting fitness clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

This is vital before their first match against Delhi Capitals on March 24 in Visakhapatnam.

While LSG hope two of them will return in time, Mayank's availability for a major part of the tournament remains uncertain.

Here's more.

Mayank Yadav's recovery journey
Rehabilitation

Mayank Yadav, whom LSG retained for ₹11 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, has been recovering from a lumbar stress injury since October 2024.

The injury was sustained after his T20I debut against Bangladesh.

Currently undergoing rehabilitation at BCCI's Center of Excellence in Bengaluru, Mayank has recently resumed bowling.

However, ESPNcricinfo reports that he is expected to miss at least the first half of the tournament due to his ongoing recovery process.

Avesh Khan's rehabilitation and uncertainty
Treatment

Avesh Khan, another key member of LSG's pace attack, is currently undergoing rehab for a knee cartilage issue.

After Madhya Pradesh's Ranji Trophy match against Kerala in January, he was referred to the NCA for treatment and has been in rehab since.

While his recovery is on track, the extent of his fitness remains uncertain according to Cricbuzz.

Mohsin Khan's injury status remains unclear
Uncertainty

Details about Mohsin Khan's condition are few and far between.

The left-arm pacer last played a domestic match on December 31, 2024, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy where he bowled just 5.5 overs. Since then, little has been known about his injury.

Despite this dearth of information, LSG management hopes he will get clearance before their first game with at least one other pacer from the trio.

Mayank Yadav's absence a significant blow for LSG
Impact

Mayank's possible absence is a huge blow for LSG, considering his phenomenal debut season in IPL 2024.

He made an instant impact, bowling at speeds of 156.7km/h and winning back-to-back Player of the Match awards in his first two games.

His performances not only bolstered LSG's bowling attack but also earned him a call-up to the Indian national team.

A look at the pacer's stats
Numbers

The pacer played in four IPL games last season and bagged seven wickets.

He managed an average of 12.14 and an economy of 6.99. Meanwhile, his best figures were worth 3/14.

According to ESPNcricinfo, he also owns four wickets for India across three T20Is at 20.75.

Overall, he now boasts 23 T20 scalps at 15.43 across 16 innings.