Pace sensation Mayank Yadav's continued participation in the remainder of the IPL round-robin stage hangs in the balance following a suspected abdominal muscle "tear" suffered during the recent game against Mumbai Indians. This marks his second injury setback in the past four weeks.

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Mayank Yadav may get BCCI contract

Despite this setback, there appears to be a silver lining for the 21-year-old Delhi cricketer. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly poised to grant him a pace bowling contract, alongside promising talents Umran Malik, Vidwath Kaverappa, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Dayal, and Akash Deep.

Under this contract, Mayank will fall under the purview of the National Cricket Academy's (NCA) Sports Science and Medical team, who will oversee his injury rehabilitation and fitness regimen, working in coordination with his IPL franchise, Lucknow Super Giants.

"Mayank has a tear but it is more likely a grade 1 tear. It will be cutting it fine but in case LSG qualifies for the play-offs, he might just be able to play the knock-out games. But it is like hoping against hope and right now he is doubtful for the remaining IPL games," a BCCI source informed PTI.

Mayank's IPL campaign started brightly, with impressive performances earning him accolades early on. However, his progress was halted by injury, sidelining him for a month before his recent return against Mumbai Indians, which was cut short after just 3.1 overs due to discomfort.

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Amidst his injury concerns, Mayank's potential inclusion in the T20 World Cup was on the cards had he remained fit. However, his current rehabilitation takes precedence for the Indian cricket authorities.

"He will soon be handed a pace bowling contract and once he is in BCCI Pathways structure, his growth will be systematically monitored. The national selection committee and the Indian team management would like to gradually blood him and ensure that he can maintain peak fitness," the BCCI source added. 

(With PTI inputs)