Suryakumar Yadav, the India T20 captain, is clearly struggling with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, and his underwhelming returns have coincided with the Mumbai Indians’ poor form. The right-handed batter had the best chance possible to take the five-time champions out of a hole against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Still, yet again, he failed to live up to the billing, scoring 36 runs off 30 balls, including five boundaries.
On Friday, former India batter and Mumbai cricket legend Wasim Jaffer said that Suryakumar is falling prey to the same plan again and again, and the need of the hour is for him to go back to the drawing board and figure out a Plan B.
Jaffer reckons the teams are now bowling tighter lengths to Suryakumar, not giving him enough space to play behind-the-wicket shots, and hence the India T20I captain should now look to play within the V, in front of the wicket.
“SKY is getting trapped in similar fashion again and again. Teams set field for that restricting his leg side and behind the wicket shots. He needs plan B. Maybe go straighter or hit over covers. Don’t be predictable. Too good a player to get caught in the same trap,” Jaffer wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Surya’s barren run
The 35-year-old has managed just 157 runs in the seven matches he has played for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2026 season at an average of 22.43 and a strike rate of 142.72. He has only one half-century to his name in the 19th edition of the T20 tournament, scoring 51 runs against the Delhi Capitals. He has just hit four sixes in the ongoing IPL season so far, along with 17 boundaries.
The fixture against Delhi also saw Suryakumar leading the franchise, with Hardik Pandya sidelined due to illness. The right-handed batter’s form was below par in the T20 World Cup 2026 as well, with the Indian captain scoring big in just one match – against the USA in the group stage.
On Thursday, the Mumbai Indians faced a 103-run thrashing at the hands of CSK to slip further down in the standings. The five-time champions are now at the eighth spot in the points table, while CSK jumped to the fifth spot.
Mumbai Indians now have a seven-day break before their next match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, April 29.
