You wouldn’t know it from Suryakumar Yadav’s relaxed and upbeat demeanor at the pre-match press conference before the Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2025 opener against the Chennai Super Kings. The task at hand was belied by the three jokes and lighthearted comments that were widely interspersed between responses.
First and foremost, he must end the run against a CSK club that is typically strong at home and without two of the league’s most valuable players, Hardik Pandya (suspension) and Jasprit Bumrah (injury). “Hardik is the only one here, but Bumrah is missing. He simply isn’t participating in the game tomorrow. The substitute captain grinned and continued, “It is hard to fill the shoes of such amazing players, but it is part of the game. He will be around.” The performance must continue.
Only his second IPL captaincy match, the 2025 season opener, comes at an intriguing point in Suryakumar’s career. He will have to lead India in defending their T20 World Cup title at home in around a year, and the IPL will provide highly representative conditions. Suryakumar claimed that he didn’t feel all that different entering the IPL as captain of India and that he would still be watching for any breakout players.
“My eyes were always open, even when I was not the captain,” he said. “Even when, I think, Rohit [Sharma] bhai 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.”
Suryakumar, who is regarded as one of the best batters in the format, is coming off a poor run for India, which may have resulted from the high-risk approach he has helped develop and advocate over the past 12 months. He’s averaged 14.30 and hit just 120.77 in 13 Twenty20 Internationals since the South Africa tour last year.
“Is that for Team India or the IPL? “IPL form has been good, sir,” he said, recalling his 2024 season in which he amassed 345 runs in 11 innings, including three fifties and a century. “In reality, I am a process-oriented individual. Working hard in the nets is something I enjoy. Additionally, it will follow swiftly if the runs must come after. One day or another.
“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.”
Ahead of Sunday’s match, Suryakumar must also make a brief decision that may not be within his control until Pandya returns. He has moved down a spot for India so that Tilak Varma could bat at number three. However, he anticipates that their duties at the Mumbai Indians will be more flexible. “I’ve seen that person, and he’s been putting in a lot of effort. I thus believed that it would be better for Team India if he batted at number three and I took over at number four.
“Because for me, I think batting number doesn’t matter. I will try and bat the same way, try and make that impact whenever there is an opportunity. So does he. So you might see guys being flexible during this season, during this stint with the IPL. And everyone is flexible. Even I can bat at three, I can bat at five, Tilak can bat at 5. So it’s that flexibility we have in our team. And with the form, I think the harder you work, the luckier you get. If it has to come, it will come anytime.”
