Meet Mangesh Yadav: Son of a truck driver, now set to live IPL dream at RCB
India Today
IPL 2026: Madhya Pradesh fast bowler Mangesh Yadav is set for his maiden stint with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who bought the pacer for Rs 5.20 crore in the mini auction last year.
For Mangesh Yadav, the IPL 2026 auction was special, not just because Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) signed him for a staggering Rs 5.20 crore, but also because it marked the end of years of struggle for his family. Hailing from Madhya Pradesh, Mangesh comes from a modest background. His father, Ram Awadh Yadav, is a truck driver who would wake up at 3 AM and spend long days navigating dangerous roads to support the family.
Mangesh's father endured hardships while supporting his son's cricket journey. The family's finances were stretched for years, with his father borrowing money and taking loans to cover coaching, equipment, and travel expenses. At the time of his IPL breakthrough, the family was still living in a rented house in Borgaon, around 75 km from Chhindwara city.
His father often spent sleepless nights worrying about how he would arrange money for coaching and other expenses. Life as a truck driver was incredibly tough, with constant pressure—from the stress of unloading a fully loaded truck to the uncertainty of finding goods to transport when the vehicle was empty.
Mangesh yadav pic.twitter.com/pQ4B0A3awx— Kohli Holic (@HolicKohli18) March 25, 2026
"I had to struggle a lot for money. Sometimes I couldn't sleep at night, thinking about how I would raise money for him. The life of a truck driver is no life at all. You don't have time to eat or bathe. When the truck is full, you worry about offloading, and when it's empty, you have to worry about filling it up," Mangesh Yadav's father said.
With Mangesh having secured a lucrative IPL deal, the family can finally hope for some financial breathing space. And with IPL 2026 just days away, Mangesh could be in line for his debut, especially with Yash Dayal unavailable for the defending champions.
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