• Source:JND
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Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) pace sensation Mayank Yadav is 'coming along very nicely' and will likely make his return against Rajasthan Royals on April 27, bowling coach Morne Morkel said on Monday.

KL Rahul-led LSG are set to take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a reverse fixture at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday. The speedster has been out of action since April 7 due to 'soreness in the abdominal area'. He missed the last three games for the franchise due to the same injury. The 21-year-old pacer left his lasting impression in the cash-rich tournament with double three-wicket hauls in the first two matches of his IPL debut season.

For the clash against CSK, Mayank has stayed in Lucknow to complete his recovery after returning to bowling last week.

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"He stayed behind in Lucknow just to give him that extra two-three days without travelling," PTI quoted Morkel as saying.

"He is with (assistant coach) Lance Klusener and the rest of the guys in Lucknow, training and getting ready. So I think, anything from the next game onwards, we'll look to bring him back in," he added.

On his injury progress, Morkel detailed that the pacer has been bowling three overs daily to reach 150 kmph consistently.

"He's coming along very nicely. We're very happy with his progression. He started bowling three-four days ago, so for him it's just a matter now, of course of him, the expectation is greater, (given) that he bowls every ball at 150 kmph," Morkel said.

"It's just to really get his body and his mind in that sort of state where he's confident, running and bowling all four overs at a tight pace," he added.

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In the previous clash between CSK and LSG, the defending champions suffered an eight-wicket defeat in Lucknow.

Morkel knows that after coming home, the IPL heavyweights would want to set their record straight.

"They plan well, and they've got a coach and they've got the experience of MS (Dhoni) and all the international players.

"It is definitely a team that you need to be on the money from ball one. You can't afford to give them that momentum, because once you give that momentum away from them, or once they have momentum, it's very hard to pull the game back.

"We'll have to be confident, especially after beating them with eight wickets in the last game. It's a team that you can't afford to be in a back foot, so from a mental point of view, we'll have to stand up in all the battles, in all departments, with bat, ball and field," Morkel added.

(With PTI inputs)