MUMBAI: With intense chatter surrounding whether Suryakumar Yadav will continue as India’s T20 captain for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, the batter’s recent outing has offered little comfort. His struggles with the bat continued on Tuesday during the opening game of Season 4 of the T20 Mumbai League, where he captained Triumph Knights.
At the Wankhede Stadium, the 35-year-old managed just 19 runs from 11 deliveries as Triumph Knights went down by 21 runs to North Mumbai Panthers. Suryakumar made a promising start, building a 37-run stand for the third wicket alongside Nutan Goel, who struck a determined 93 off 56 balls. However, the innings didn’t last much longer for Suryakumar, as he was dismissed at deep square leg off spinner Rahul Sawant in the seventh over. Sawant finished with figures of 2 for 32 in his four overs.
Chasing 189, Triumph Knights were kept under pressure and ended on 188 for eight, falling short of the target despite Goel’s near-defiant effort.
India captaincy debate meets an extended lean patch
The league setback adds to a broader stretch of ordinary output for Suryakumar in major T20 assignments. Even after leading India to their second straight T20 World Cup triumph in February-March, his batting returns in the tournament were far from his usual standards. He accumulated 242 runs across nine matches at an average of 30.25, with a top score of 84 not out in the opening game against USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
His IPL-2026 campaign also reflected a dip in form. Suryakumar scored 260 runs in 13 matches for Mumbai Indians at 20.76, striking at 147.54. He managed only two half-centuries, and the franchise were eliminated from the league stage.
Next up for India: Ireland T20Is
India are scheduled to play two T20 internationals against Ireland later this month in Belfast. The first match is set for June 26, and the second T20I will take place on June 28.
