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‘Kid Nearly Lost His Career’: Ian Bishop Slams ‘Negative Comments’ Against Mayank Yadav’s LSG Return

Sanjeev Kumar | April 23, 2026 10:25 PM CST

Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop defended Lucknow Super Giants’ Mayank Yadav after criticism over his IPL 2026 comeback. Calling negative comments “horrifying,” Bishop highlighted the young pacer’s long injury layoff and urged patience and support. Fans and experts echoed his views, backing Mayank’s return and recovery journey.

Former West Indies pacer turned commentator Ian Bishop has come out in defence of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Mayank Yadav amid criticism following his return to action in the IPL 2026 clash against the Rajasthan Royals at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday, April 22.

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After a gap of 353 days, Mayank returned to competitive action for the LSG in the clash against the RR, which the hosts lost by 40 runs, registering their 5th defeat of the season. However, the 23-year-old didn’t have an ideal outing in his comeback match after an injury layoff, as he went wicketless while conceding 56 runs at an economy rate of 14 in his spell of four overs.

Mayank Yadav missed the first six matches of the LSG as he was recovering from a long-term back injury that kept him out of action for nearly a year before finally returning to competitive cricket in the IPL 2026 clash against the Rajasthan Royals.

Bishop Horrified By Negative Comments against Mayank

Mayank Yadav’s return to competitive cricket was met with criticism, as the LSG pacer struggled in his comeback match, where he failed to single and conceded heavily while trying to find rhythm after a long injury layoff. Amid criticism, Ian Bishop jumped to the defence of the young pacer.

Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), the former West Indies pacer expressed his anger at ‘negative comments’ against Mayank Yadav, calling it “horrifying” and stressing that the young fast bowler deserves patience and support rather than criticism as he continues his recovery from a long injury layoff.

“To see negative comments about Mayank Yadav today is horrifying. The kid nearly lost his career & livelihood at 21yrs. Just to see him play again is huge boost. The fact that he clocked 150kph again is a miracle. At 23yrs just pray for him that he stays fit. The control will come,” Bishop wrote.

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In the last IPL season, Mayank Yadav played only two matches for the Lucknow Super Giants, as the young pacer was on the sidelines for most of the tournament due to a recurrence of a serious lower back stress fracture and subsequent injury issues.

His recurring injuries have affected his playing career and limited his opportunities despite showing immense pace and potential early in his breakthrough stint.

Support Grows for Mayank Yadav

Ian Bishop’s defence of Mayank Yadav has sparked widespread backing from fans and experts, who expressed their support and echoed his message of patience, while highlighting the pacer’s long injury struggle and need for time to regain full rhythm after his comeback.

Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), fans and cricket enthusiasts endorsed Ian Bishop’s comeback and rallied behind Mayank Yadav, urging patience over criticism and highlighting his long injury layoff, raw pace potential, and the need for time to regain rhythm, while calling for stronger support for young fast bowlers returning from serious injuries.

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Mayank Yadav’s last appearance in a competitive cricket match was in India A’s T20 World Cup warm-up match against Namibia, where he registered figures of 2/17 at an economy rate of 8.50 in two matches, at the BCCI CoE in Bengaluru in February this year.

Mayank was picked by Lucknow Super Giants for INR 20 lakh at the IPL 2022 Auction, and his impressive showing in the 2024 season led to retaining him for INR 11 crore for the 2025 edition of the tournament. Despite limited appearances due to injury in the IPL 2025, he was retained by LSG for INR 11 crore.