Harare [Zimbabwe], July 24 (ANI): Indian speedster Mayank Yadav reflected on his two-year wait to wear the India jersey, saying that the wicket he took on his very first delivery duirng his comeback game made the long and difficult journey worthwhile.

Yadav, who made his India debut at just 22 years old in 2024, described his injury layoff as a tough but important phase that helped shape him as a cricketer.

However, a string of injuries, which kept him sidelined for an extended period, forced him to endure a challenging phase early in his career.

The fast bowler marked his comeback in style, delivering a Player-of-the-Match performance in the first T20I against Zimbabwe on Thursday.

'So these two years, it was a long time, and I was eagerly waiting to play again in Blues. I think today, when I took a wicket in the very first ball, so that like summarised everything like that two years, so it feels great now. See, it was very tough, but at the same time, what I feel is it was very important for me also, ' Yadav said in a video posted by BCCI.

The speedster struck with the opening delivery of the match by dismissing Brian Bennet.

Yadav stressed the importance of trusting his skills and natural strengths, saying his two-wicket return after a lengthy injury layoff came as a huge relief amid the expectations he had placed on himself.

The pacer described his comeback as an emotional moment, expressing happiness at being back in the Indian team and contributing immediately.

'I was just thinking that I just have to back my skill, I have to back my strength, that's it. It's relief because, like, after a very long time, the expectation is a lot with me keeping pressure on myself, so now I've got these two wickets, I've got the performance, so that is a big relief for me. I'm very happy that I'm back in the team; I'm playing again; it's a very mixed emotion for me,' he added.

Yadav finished with two wickets as India restricted Zimbabwe to 125/7. India chased down the target with 40 balls to spare, securing their first T20I victory since their World Cup triumph earlier this year.

The win also marked Shreyas Iyer's first victory as India's T20I captain after six defeats and one washout in his previous games in charge. (ANI)