Mumbai Indians raised just a few eyebrows after naming Suryakumar Yadav within the Affect Sub listing for his or her IPL 2026 opener towards Kolkata Knight Riders on the Wankhede Stadium. Head coach Mahela Jayawardene later clarified that the choice was precautionary attributable to a minor health concern.
Regardless of being India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain, Suryakumar didn’t characteristic within the beginning XI, with captain Hardik Pandya opting to make use of him as an Affect Participant. Addressing the choice after the match, Jayawardene dismissed any hypothesis and defined how the choice was purely based mostly on not worsening a groin concern Suryakumar had complained about forward of the match.
MI vs KKR, IPL 2026: Updates | SCORECARD
“I hope we do not create undesirable tales. The camp may be very glad, everybody’s glad. Sky got here and joined us after taking a few further days he wished. He had somewhat tight groin, and he was doing fielding and all that, however I knew I had one other 5 days from this sport to the opposite sport. I simply wish to give him that further little bit of time. He was even eager on the finish to go for 3, 4 overs, however I mentioned no, it is tremendous,” Jayawardene mentioned.
“It is simply that I’ve to take precautions. These are very invaluable gamers for me to have them going all through the season. So these are calculated choices that I make and the administration make. So there’s nothing past that.”
Suryakumar ultimately got here in as an Affect Sub in the course of the chase and made a rapid 16 off 8 balls earlier than being dismissed, as MI comfortably hunted down the 221-run goal.
HOW MI BROKE THEIR IPL FIRST MATCH JINX
Chasing a frightening 221, MI produced a medical batting show to script a memorable win.
Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton laid the muse with a 148-run stand off simply 72 balls, shifting the momentum firmly in MI’s favour. Rohit anchored the innings, whereas Rickelton performed a shocking knock of 81 off 43 balls.
With the platform set, the remainder of the batting unit ensured there have been no hiccups. Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma chipped in as MI chased down the goal in 19.1 overs.
The win was important for a number of causes. MI had by no means chased a 220-plus goal of their historical past previous to this, they usually had not gained their opening match of an IPL season since 2012.
On March 29, they ticked each bins in emphatic style, registering a six-wicket win over KKR to start their IPL 2026 marketing campaign on a excessive.
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