Suryakumar Yadav is going through a phase no one would have expected from one of T20 cricket’s most fluent batters. The Mumbai Indians skipper, who has built much of his reputation on strike and shot-making, is currently finding it extremely difficult to score consistently in the Indian Premier League. On Monday night, MI secured a win under his leadership against the Lucknow Super Giants, yet the captain’s own batting effort once again fell short—he managed only 12 runs off seven balls.
After the first ten matches of the IPL season, the right-hander has managed just one half-century. His overall output has been one of the key reasons Mumbai have struggled to climb out of the lower half of the points table.
Manjrekar pins the struggle on fitness
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar believes the root of Suryakumar’s lean patch lies in how the batter has handled his physical condition as he has moved into his mid-30s. Speaking on Sportstar’s Insight Edge Podcast, Manjrekar suggested that the game’s pace and demands punish any decline in fitness, especially in a format where execution has to be near-perfect.
“I don’t think he’s as fit as he was five or six years ago. He may be older, but it’s not just age—it’s fitness-wise as well,” Manjrekar said. “When you get past a certain age and don’t manage your physical condition properly, T20 cricket starts exposing you. Things you used to take for granted—like picking the ball early and playing those shots—become harder to pull off.”
Manjrekar went on to lay out what he would change if he were working directly with Suryakumar. His view was that the focus should shift more toward becoming lighter on his feet, improving strength, and spending time on conditioning rather than spending the majority of practice time simply batting.
“I’m certain about one thing: his fitness isn’t where it should be. If I were his personal coach, I’d tell him to get lighter on his feet, get stronger, and spend time on that instead of practising all the time,” Manjrekar said. “But that’s also his game—so you want the physical tools to match the intent he already has.”
He also quantified Suryakumar’s IPL 2026 numbers so far. The batter has scored 195 runs in ten matches for Mumbai Indians at an average of 19.50, and he is not inside the top 30 run-scorers in the 19th edition of the tournament.
Manjrekar then urged Suryakumar to take cues from Virat Kohli’s approach to physical preparation. In his comparison, he pointed to how Kohli has endured difficult stretches in T20 cricket while still managing to bounce back, crediting fitness as a major differentiator in those recoveries.
“Take a leaf out of Virat Kohli’s book. Virat isn’t in his early 30s; he’s in that phase too and he’s had tough times in T20 cricket. But look at him this season,” Manjrekar said. “What’s the difference in the fitness of Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Virat Kohli? Honestly, all the other things are there with him. Surya has experience, he knows how to score, and he’s seen success—so the mental side is in place. Just get your body to support your intent, and I thought Rohit also dipped because he didn’t take care of his fitness as much as he should. It just made things more difficult.”
“I see that with Surya as well. So if you’re going to take your fitness levels to the next level—go into extreme fitness the way Virat does—that’s the direction,” Manjrekar added. “I’ve said this before. When Virat gets any success, the first thing he credits is his physical fitness. For Surya, that’s the missing piece. If he focuses on his physical factors, the mental side will take care of itself.”
Questions over captaincy and India place
Beyond the IPL, Manjrekar also highlighted concerns about Suryakumar’s form for India in recent times. He noted that the batter has had a couple of underwhelming years overall, and said that while there was improvement earlier, the current drop has raised doubts about whether Suryakumar can continue to be a key figure in India’s shortest-format plans.
Last year in T20 internationals, Suryakumar did not score a single fifty for India. The only major consolation, according to the assessment, came in the IPL where he struck 717 runs for Mumbai Indians.
Earlier this year, however, there were signs of his old rhythm. Suryakumar looked like himself again during the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, where he piled up runs with ease.
Still, Manjrekar pointed to a turning point after the opening match of the T20 World Cup 2026 against the USA. Following that game, questions have intensified about Suryakumar’s direction and his role in India’s T20I setup, including whether he is fit enough to lead and whether he deserves a spot in the playing XI in the coming months.
“That’s a tricky question to answer. What you’re really saying is the IPL performances,” Manjrekar explained. “We often assume he had a bad run in the IPL last season too, but it’s more about his international form. I think the runs were evading him. He had a good IPL, but the loss of form at the international level has caught up in the IPL—and even in the T20 World Cup, in the first innings against the USA. He didn’t do much. It’s clear to see he’s not the same player.”
He then emphasised the importance of selectors making decisions with a clear eye on potential and possibilities. In his view, the selection panel needs to consider not only recent numbers, but also the bigger context of what Suryakumar can still deliver.
“Now it’s about selectors putting on their cricketers’ hats. You need selectors who understand potential and possibilities,” Manjrekar said. “Is Surya capable of producing that magic again? That’s something they have to ask themselves.”
Manjrekar also addressed the difficulty of dropping a T20 World Cup-winning captain from the next T20I series. He acknowledged that the decision would be a tough one, but argued that the next assignment will likely determine whether Suryakumar’s long-term future in T20 cricket remains intact.
“We’ve seen for a while that he hasn’t been able to. He’s not young either. But how can you not have your T20 World Cup-winning captain for the next T20 international India plays?” he said. “So I don’t think anyone is going to take that tough decision immediately. The next series will decide whether he has a long-term future in T20 cricket. But clearly, he’s gone off the boil completely.”
