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New Delhi: In the last few years in Indian T20 cricket, if any batsman has changed the face of the game with his aggressive style and 360 degree shots, then that name is Suryakumar Yadav. His art of scoring runs in every part of the field and his ability to put constant pressure on the bowlers made him one of the most dangerous T20 batsmen in the world.

But in cricket, every player has to go through difficult times sometimes and something similar was seen with Suryakumar Yadav in IPL 2026. The bat of the captain who won the T20 Asia Cup and T20 World Cup for the Indian team did not perform as expected in the IPL this time, the effect of which was clearly visible on the performance of Mumbai Indians.

Superhit in captaincy, struggle in batting

Under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian team won the title of 2025 T20 Asia Cup and 2026 T20 World Cup. His calm mind and ability to use players properly in big matches was praised everywhere. However, his individual performance in IPL 2026 was very ordinary. Mumbai Indians expected big innings from their most reliable batsman, but the entire season proved to be a struggle for them.

The bat remained silent in IPL 2026

This season Suryakumar Yadav scored only 210 runs in 12 innings. His average was 17.50 and he scored only one half-century in the entire tournament. This is the same batsman who scored 717 runs in 16 matches in IPL 2025. His average that season was more than 65 and his strike rate was also very dangerous. In such a situation, such a huge decline in performance within a year surprised even the cricket fans.

Direct impact on Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians’ batting has revolved around Suryakumar Yadav for a long time. When he is in rhythm, the middle order of the team looks very strong. But the effect of his poor form in IPL 2026 was visible on the entire team. Despite getting good starts in many matches, Mumbai Indians could not reach a big score. On many occasions, the team felt the lack of that SKY special innings, which had taken Mumbai Indians out of difficult situations in the last several years.

Didn’t show any effect even in the role of finisher

This season Suryakumar Yadav was not even successful in playing match finishing innings. That confidence and flow was not visible in his batting, which is generally considered his biggest identity. On many occasions he was able to get starts, but failed to convert them into big innings.

How was your performance in the T20 World Cup?

Apart from IPL, Suryakumar Yadav could not leave much impact with the bat even in T20 World Cup 2026. He scored 242 runs in 9 matches. Although he played useful innings in some important matches, the kind of explosive batting that was expected from him was not consistent. Nevertheless, his captaincy was highly appreciated because he kept the team together and made better use of the players in pressure matches.

Increased discussion on age and future

Now the discussion has also started regarding his future. Suryakumar Yadav has turned 35 and the next T20 World Cup will be played in 2028. In such a situation, the Indian team management can consider new captaincy options keeping the future plans in mind. India is going to play T20 series in Ireland and England next month, where the selectors can also take decisions from the point of view of preparing the future team.

Who is the next T20 captain?

If we talk about future captaincy options, then Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson are being considered as strong contenders. Both the players have impressed with their batting and leadership abilities in recent times. In such a situation, a new debate regarding the captaincy of the Indian T20 team may intensify in the coming months.