Mumbai Indians batting stalwart Suryakumar Yadav moved to quell fresh talk of a wrist problem on Sunday, insisting the rumours were wide of the mark. The India T20I captain endured a tough IPL 2026 campaign, finishing with 270 runs across 13 outings. While his most notable knock arrived against Rajasthan Royals—an enterprising 60—it did not swing the result as MI fell short in their chase of 206.
Quick facts
- Suryakumar Yadav addressed wrist-injury rumours ahead of MI’s match versus Rajasthan Royals.
- He managed 270 runs in IPL 2026 from 13 matches.
- His best IPL 2026 effort was a 60 against Rajasthan Royals.
- MI lost their chase of 206; Rajasthan Royals booked a playoff spot.
- Rajasthan Royals knocked out Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders to qualify.
- MI finished ninth in the points table with four wins from 14 matches.
In the wider playoff picture, Rajasthan Royals’ qualification came with the knock-on effect of ending the campaigns of Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. For Mumbai Indians, the season’s end was abrupt: they ended up ninth, winning just four of their 14 matches and failing to make the cut.
Before facing RR, Suryakumar chose to directly challenge the chatter he had heard, speaking to the host broadcasters and describing the claims as baseless. The MI veteran also took aim at those responsible for spreading misinformation, suggesting they either lacked proper understanding or were simply repeating unverified ideas.
“First of all, I’d like to clear the air a little bit. The people talking about a wrist injury are either pure physios or people who don’t understand cricket,” Suryakumar said. “Because if I really had a wrist injury or such a problem, then the shots I’ve been playing in practice and in matches, especially my flick shots, which are completely wrist-based and depend on hand-eye coordination, wouldn’t have been able to play those shots.”
He added that he would rather not dwell too long on the subject, emphasizing that such narratives are outside his control. “But I don’t want to say much about that because it’s not in my control. These are all uncontrollable factors, and I don’t pay too much attention to them,” he said.
On form and staying process-driven
Suryakumar also addressed concerns about his dip in form, acknowledging that outcomes are not always controllable. He stressed that his focus remains on the work and the process—continuing to put in the effort regardless of whether results immediately follow.
“As you said, I’ve worked hard throughout the season. I worked hard at the start of the year as well. In the New Zealand series, I won the Player of the Series award. Then I had a good World Cup, at least according to me. Then came the IPL. I didn’t score runs in the IPL, but I never stopped working hard,” he said.
He then framed his approach around what he can influence, arguing that hard work is the one constant while performance itself cannot be guaranteed. “I try to focus on what is in my hands. At the end of the day, performance is never guaranteed. What is in your control is hard work. So I keep working hard and try to put my best foot forward,” Suryakumar added.
Concluding on a note of resilience, he said success will arrive if it comes, and if it doesn’t, the response will be to reset and work again. “If success comes, that’s great. If it doesn’t, that’s okay too. We’ll go back to the drawing board and work hard again. God is watching. Sooner or later, the rewards will come,” he said.
