Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene has offered strong backing to Suryakumar Yadav despite his lean run in IPL 2026, insisting the franchise continues to trust its senior batter ahead of a key clash against Chennai Super Kings.
With Mumbai Indians struggling for consistency this season, Suryakumar’s dip in form has become a talking point. However, Jayawardene made it clear at the pre-match press conference that the team is not losing faith in one of its most experienced campaigners.
“I mean, he just won the World Cup as captain and was the Player of the Tournament last year. So what more can you say? We’ve had conversations about him. If you look at his batting in the nets, he practises as well as anyone. Even in matches, he’s hitting the ball well. But the way he’s gotten out a few times has been unfortunate,” Jayawardene said.
“Sometimes he’s hit a shot and been caught at the boundary, and at other times he’s just faced a couple of good balls. We just keep encouraging him. He’s had three or four brilliant years, not just one season. Players go through phases like this. He understands it, and he’ll come back and play the way he knows best,” he added.
Mumbai Indians currently sit ninth on the table with just two wins from eight matches, making the CSK encounter a must-win to keep their campaign alive.
Suryakumar Yadav’s form this season
Suryakumar’s numbers underline the concern. In eight innings, he has scored 162 runs at an average of 20.25 and a strike rate of 140.87 — well below his usual impact in the middle overs. His recent scores — 6, 33, 0, 15, 36 and 5 — reflect a lack of consistency and failure to convert starts into match-defining knocks.
In his most recent outing against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he managed just 5 off 5 balls after a strong start from Ryan Rickelton before being dismissed by Eshan Malinga, halting MI’s momentum in the middle phase.
Big test against CSK
The clash against Chennai Super Kings now becomes another crucial opportunity for Suryakumar and Mumbai Indians. Having already lost the earlier meeting, MI are under pressure to respond as the tournament reaches its decisive phase.
For a side still searching for rhythm, a return to form from Suryakumar could be key to reigniting their campaign.
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