Mangesh Yadav made heads turn at the Madhya Pradesh Premier League this year.
As the IPL 2026 auction approaches, another group of underrated, largely unknown domestic players will hope to make their way into the cash-rich league, and among the most promising names in this bracket is left-arm pacer Mangesh Yadav, who has quickly turned heads with his standout performances in the Madhya Pradesh Premier League.
State-level franchise leagues have paved the way for some talented players in Indian cricket to showcase their abilities and rise through the ranks. Courtesy of the Madhya Pradesh Premier League, Indian cricket might have found another young gem who might just become a breakout star at the IPL 2026 auction set to take place in Abu Dhabi in December.
Hailing from Madhya Pradesh, Yadav, who is in his mid-20s, made a strong impression in the MP T20 League 2025. The Gwalior Cheetahs player finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker. In six matches, he picked up 14 wickets, including three four-wicket hauls, at an astonishing average of 12.
In the match against Bhopal Leopards, Yadav clinched four wickets in three overs and gave away just 18 runs. His other two four-wicket hauls came against Jabalpur Royal Lions and Bundelkhand Bulls.
Against the Bulls, Mangesh Yadav also struck a six-ball 24 unbeaten knock to take his team over the line.
In the State league, Yadav’s ability to execute under pressure translated into an impressive economy rate of eight. That kind of consistency, coupled with his knack for taking wickets, is exactly what IPL teams look for, especially when they’re building a squad around a reliable domestic pace option.
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In one of the matches in MPPL 2025 against the Bundelkhand Bulls, Yadav smashed 24 runs off just 6 balls in the last over, displaying how hard he can hit with the bat, and went on to get 4 wickets in the second innings. Mangesh Yadav was also a part of the Bhopal Leopards squad in the inaugural edition of the Madhya Pradesh Premier League in 2024.
Shedding light on some of Yadav’s first-class experience, the youngster brought his A-game to the Buchi Babu tournament this year, where he smashed an impressive 75 in a match against Punjab, and also deceived Prabhsimran Singh in the same tournament. In the Under-23 State A trophy 2025-26, Yadav made history by clinching 6 wickets and giving away only 43 runs against Kerala, bowling them out for just 65 runs, and giving the Under-23 Madhya Pradesh team a crucial victory.
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Yadav was also a part of the White Town DropThought Giants’ squad for the Puducherry Premier League this year. In a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Railways, Mangesh smashed an unbeaten 35 off just 11 balls at an astonishing strike rate of 318 to help MP post 381 runs on the scoreboard. This unbeaten 35 came at a time when MP’s top order had collapsed, with Yadav coming in at a crucial point to put up a respectable score for his team.
With the IPL 2026 auction just around the corner, Mangesh Yadav’s name is likely to be featured on the target lists of several franchises. Lucknow Super Giants is one such team that can rope in the left-arm pacer. With their premium Indian pacer Mayank Yadav still recovering from injury and facing fitness concerns, and with Shardul Thakur traded to MI, LSG’s fast-bowling unit is in clear need of reinforcements. That is where Yadav can come in and give LSG important breakthroughs this season.
Yadav can also be a great fit for the Mumbai Indians, a team that is known to nurture and groom talented youngsters and give them opportunities to shine. MI constantly looks to maintain a deep pace-bowling bench. Mangesh Yadav could be a low-cost domestic asset worth investing in, and as per reports, he recently featured in MI’s trials, a clear sign that the five-time champions are seriously considering him. Yadav also featured in trials for the Rajasthan Royals, putting himself firmly on their radar as a promising left-arm quick they can develop for the future.
With no prior IPL experience yet, we can surely expect Yadav to become one of the breakout stars at the IPL 2026 auction next month.
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