The Mumbai Indians’ middle order has already struggled to score at a promising rate, and now Suryakumar Yadav’s lean patch has added to that massive concern.
The five-time champions of the IPL, the Mumbai Indians, have been on a trophy drought over the past five seasons, and this sixth season is also a major opportunity for the skipper , who took over the reins from but has yet to cause a major impact with the Mumbaikars.
Speaking of their batting prowess, MI’s main strength over the past successful seasons lay in their middle order. The openers had contributed from time to time, but the middle order would be their most consistent match-winning pack. One of the assets in this middle order, even till the last season, was Suryakumar Yadav.
Suryakumar Yadav’s failure and lean patch of form have been the biggest batting concern for the Mumbai Indians, as they have failed to go at a promising rate in that middle phase and have hence fallen short of targets or projected scores by close margins.
Three Reasons Why Suryakumar Yadav Should Be Dropped by the Mumbai Indians:
3. Extended lean patch since the T20 World Cup
Suryakumar Yadav started 2026 on a high note against the New Zealand side. He had a terrible patch throughout 2025 where his average dropped to less than 15 across 21 innings for India. However, at the back of a promising IPL 2025, he retained his place in the Indian T20I side, and at the back of a promising NZ , he marched into the ICC T20 World Cup with his head held high.
When Suryakumar came out of the World Cup, he had that trophy in his hand; however, what was not going to be ignored was his poor batting form. He has struggled to score runs and has carried his lean patch into the IPL.
Playing 8 games for MI this season, he has amassed 162 runs for the franchise and has averaged just 20.25 after having finished the last season with 717 runs in the season. He has just one fifty this season, which came in the second game against Delhi, which started MI’s losing streak this season.
2. Mumbai Indians need to revamp their middle-order
The Mumbai Indians have struggled in the middle phase. Though Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, or Ryan Rickelton, any of the players, have handed them starts on some occasions, the middle order has been devastating.
The middle order plays a very important role, which was evident in the match against the Gujarat Titans, where Tilak Varma scored a stunning hundred after being promoted slightly in the batting order.
Suryakumar Yadav’s going out can help MI back Tilak Varma in the no. 3 position, a batting role where he has delivered a few of his best performances. This could also mean that MI might make use of their overseas batting depth more tactically, trying out more combinations.
1. Suryakumar is not tagging with the tempo of the in-form batters
Not all batters in the MI den are out of form, as De Kock has already managed a century, and so has the young Tilak Varma. While Rohit started the season well, Ryan Rickelton has been firing at times for the Mumbai Indians. has also been in fine touch on occasions when he has been sent in early.
However, Suryakumar Yadav, coming out in the middle of these players, has failed to pick up the tempo of the game. His only half-century this season came with a strike rate around 145, while his strike rate has fallen to a record low of 130 during chases.
Even in the last game against the Chennai Super Kings, where he scored those runs at a very poor strike rate, it mattered in the game. The loss against RCB off just 18 runs was further highlighted when Surya batted too slowly as compared to other batters in that XI. Hence, he might no longer be suited in that XI and needs a slight shift in tempo.