Suryakumar Yadav’s bad run continues, he fails in Mumbai T20 League after IPL

India T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav’s struggles with the bat continued on Tuesday as the star batsman failed to hit in his first competitive outing since the 2026 Indian Premier League.

Suryakumar, who made it to Triumph Knights Mumbai North East in the Mumbai T20 League, managed just 19 runs off 12 balls in a chase of 210 against Ajinkya Rahane-led North Mumbai Panthers at the Wankhede Stadium. The dismissal extended a difficult run of form for one of India’s most explosive T20 batsmen, who endured a disappointing IPL season and an underwhelming T20 World Cup campaign in recent months.

SURYAKUMAR FAILS…AGAIN

Suryakumar arrived at the crease after Triumph Knights lost both their openers cheaply in the chase. The India captain briefly looked into fluent touch, hitting four boundaries to help his side race to 56/2 by the end of the over.

However, left-arm spinner Rahul Sawant halted his progress, dismissing Suryakumar for 19 and triggering a collapse in the middle overs. Surya’s innings was in stark contrast to what the team would expect from the Indian captain, who is also one of the most decorated T20 players in the Indian cricket ecosystem.

Despite a spirited 93 off 56 balls from impact stand-in Nutan Goel, the Triumph Knights fell short of the target to finish on 188/8 as North Mumbai Panthers secured a 21-run victory in their tournament opener.

WORRYING SIGNS FOR THE INDIAN CAPTAIN

Suryakumar’s latest setback comes at the end of a challenging phase in his career. The batsman entered the 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup under pressure after struggling with poor form for almost 18 months. He seemed to rediscover his touch in India’s pre-tournament series against New Zealand, scoring three half-centuries in five matches. However, this momentum did not carry over to the World Cup.

Apart from an unbeaten 84 in India’s opening match against the United States, Suryakumar struggled to make significant contributions during the tournament, raising fresh questions about his consistency in the format.

His IPL 2026 campaign also saw a sharp decline from the standards he had set a year earlier. Representing Mumbai Indians, Suryakumar has scored 270 runs in 13 matches this season, a dramatic drop from IPL 2025 where he amassed 717 runs at a strike of 167 and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

While the Mumbai T20 League remains a domestic competition, Tuesday’s outing offered Suryakumar an opportunity to gain momentum ahead of India’s next assignment. Instead, the innings added another low score to a sequence that is increasingly becoming a problem for one of the most important batsmen in the country.

Earlier in the evening, North Mumbai Panthers posted their first 200+ of the season after Hardik Tamore hit 67 off 43 balls. Rahane contributed 24 to top the order while Ayush Vartak and Tanush Kotian chipped in with useful cameos to lift the Panthers to 209/6.

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Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

02 Jun 2026 21:50 IST