Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene has backed Suryakumar Yadav to be good despite his struggles in IPL 2026. Ahead of the crucial clash against Chennai Super Kings, the coach made it clear that the team continues to trust his senior batsman to return to form.
Suryakumar’s recent fall has been in the limelight as MI looks to turn his season around. In the pre-match press conference, Jayawardene addressed the concerns surrounding his form.
“I mean he’s just won the World Cup as captain and he was the player of the tournament last year. So what more can you say? We talked about him. If you look at his batting in the nets, he’s practicing as well as anybody. He’s hitting the ball well in matches too. But the way he got out a couple of times was unfortunate. He was hit in the face at other times and he was hit in the face at other times. some good balls,” Jayawardene said.
“We’re just encouraging him. If you look at Surya, he’s had three or four great years, not just last season. Players are human and sometimes they go through a phase when things don’t go their way. He understands that and he’ll come back with a smile and play the way he knows best,” he added.
MI head into the CSK clash in need of a strong performance, sitting ninth in the table with just two wins from eight matches. As the tournament enters a crucial phase, the team will be hoping their experienced players step up.
HOW WAS SURYAKUMARA YADAV’S FORM IN IPL 2026?
Suryakumar’s numbers this season underline the concerns.
In eight innings, he scored 162 runs at an average of 20.25 and a strike rate of 140.87, below his usual standards in the middle overs. The bigger problem was the lack of impact innings, his last six scores being 6, 33, 0, 15, 36 and 5.
“We are still encouraging him. If you look at Surya, he has had three or four great years, not just last season. Players are human and sometimes they go through phases when things don’t go their way. He understands that and will come back with a smile and play the way he knows best,” Jayawardene said.
His last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad summed up this trend. Suryakumar, coming in after a strong start from Ryan Rickelton, managed just 5 off 5 balls before getting to Eshan Malinga, missing a chance to push MI to an even bigger total.
CAN SURYAKUMAR YADAV PROCEED FOR MI VS CSK?
The clash against Chennai Super Kings now becomes even more important for both MI and Suryakumar.
MI lost the earlier encounter in Chepauk and with their campaign on the wane they need a quick turnaround. A player of Suryakumar’s quality remains central to this plan, especially in the middle overs where MI lack consistency.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
02 May 2026 03:00 IST
