da dobrowin： Mumbai Indians’ stand-in captain is not concerned with the absence of Hardik and Bumrah or his lean T20I form heading into the game against CSK
da dobrowin： Alagappan Muthu22-Mar-20255:07
Can Mumbai Indians bounce back this season?
Mumbai Indians (MI) are starting IPL 2025 with some personnel issues, which has pushed Suryakumar Yadav into an even bigger spotlight. Though he does captain India in T20Is now, Sunday will only be the second time he leads his IPL franchise. Standing against him will be a Chennai Super Kings team stacked with some excellent spin bowling talent. How does he plan to deal with them?”Only sixes,” he said to kick off a chilled-out press conference. It ended with Suryakumar in stitches as he contemplated the idea of MS Dhoni as an uncapped player, to which he has been reclassified thanks to the revival of an old IPL rule.”Jokes apart,” Suryakumar continued. “They have some experience also in their side. The good bowlers who have played for this franchise before and have been playing for the franchise for a really long time. But this format, whatever comes your way, you have to be yourself. Just enjoy and take one ball at a time.”Related
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Suryakumar’s sunny disposition wasn’t be soured by the players he will be missing – Hardik Pandya (suspension) and Jasprit Bumrah (injury) – or by his recent batting form.”Is that for IPL or for Team India? For IPL, IPL form has been good,” he said, throwing back to last season when he scored 345 runs in 11 innings including a century and three fifties.”I think the harder you work, the luckier you get. If it has to come, it will come anytime. But I am actually a process-oriented man. I love to work hard in the nets. And if the runs have to follow, it will follow quickly. Someday or the other.Suryakumar Yadav gets into his rhythm in the nets•Mumbai Indians
“If I am practicing well, hitting the ball really well in the nets, when I go in the game, my mind is clear, I know what I have to do. That is the moment, that is the sweet spot for me. When I know that I am in good space and I will get runs for the side.”His batting, and his team, aren’t the full extent of Suryakumar’s concerns anymore now that he is India captain and they are building towards a home T20 World Cup. He says he has always been on the lookout for breakout talents.”My eyes were always open, even when I was not the captain. Even when, I think, Rohit [Sharma] was the captain of T20. That time also, my eyes were wide open. Because at the end of the day, when someone does really well in the IPL for the franchise and goes on to play for India, every player is important. So, any player who can make an impact for India, your eyes have to be wide open. And it won’t be that different from all the years. I think it will be the same. Just a little bit of added responsibility. That’s it.”MI will need to look to their bench to balance their XI at Chepauk, where a “good wicket” awaits them. It looks like they might turn to Satyanarayana Raju, a 25-year-old Andhra fast bowler who picked up seven wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 8.23 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He was among the first set of bowlers to hit the nets on the eve of the game on Saturday.”I feel if you see Mumbai Indians set up over the years, it is more than 10-15 years now. The scouting team has been amazing. We have picked amazing players. Going after, looking at all the domestic matches, sharing it with the coaches and the picks have been great. We have a lot of exciting players also this time in our dressing room. Good characters, funny ones as well. It is good we saw them during the camp, during the practice games. I think they are ready for the stage.”
