Suryakumar Yadav's form not a huge concern, he just needs some time in the middle: Mahela Jayawardene

Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene has thrown his support behind Suryakumar Yadav, who has been enduring a poor run of form in the Indian Premier League. Although for Yadav’s team, his form is not a “huge concern”. He is yet to reach a double-digit score in the UAE leg of the tournament, with his scores in the four games thus far reading 3, 5, 8, 0.

The performance in the UAE leg has been a mere extension of his poor form, as he could not contribute much to the team’s cause even during the Indian leg of the tournament, getting only starts before not being able to convert them. Yadav, one of Mumbai’s middle-order mainstays since 2018, has also been named in India’s 15-member T20 World Cup squad, and the timing of his lean patch is slightly bothering for both his IPL team and India.

He is currently averaging is 17.18 in the league, having scored 189 runs in 11 innings at a strike just a shade under 129. However, MI coach Jayawardene feels that all he needs is to spend some time in the middle to regain his confidence.

“Surya just needs to spend some time in the middle to get his confidence back. But it’s not a huge concern. Just because we have to make a couple of changes doesn’t mean that the quality of other players is ignored. We make sure these players are fit and in balance when not playing,” Mahela Jayawardene said during the pre-match press conference.

Yadav has been a part of the Mumbai setup ever since 2018 when the franchise acquired his services for INR 3.2 crore. Before Mumbai, he was a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders, where batting in the lower-order, his potential was not completely utilized.

Highlighting his prowess at MI, Yadav set alight the 2018 season when he tallied 512 at 36.57, with four half-centuries. In 2019, when Mumbai lifted their fourth title, Yadav played a crucial role once again with a 424-run season.

Another consistent season later – he scored 480 at 40, strike rate 145 in 2020 to help Mumbai reach their record fifth IPL triumph – Yadav, who was already knocking the doors of selectors, found himself in national contention, as he debuted against England and made became an instant hit with a reverse scoop off Jofra Archer for a six to get off the mark in his international career.

A late bloomer by Indian cricket’s standard, Yadav has impressed in plenty in a very limited time at the international level. For someone with his kind of determination and grit, a minor IPL blip might truly not be a huge concern.