Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 has not been going well for No.1 T20I batter, Suryakumar Yadav, as it looks like he has carried his grey patch in International cricket to IPL 2023. In a recently concluded ODI series against Australia, Surya was dismissed on three consecutive ‘Golden Ducks’, while in two games for Mumbai Indians in the 16th edition of the league, where he has not been able to impress his critiques.
While in the cash-rich league, the MI side has now faced back-to-back defeats in the 2023 season, with their last game lost against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at their home turf in Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai.
MI’s head coach reckons Suryakumar Yadav one of the best T20I batters-
“Surya is an extremely talented cricketer, one of the world’s best T20 players, if not the best. He has not had the weight of runs of late but he is a fantastic player. Hope he can come good for us in the near future. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him.“We all know what he can do.
“That’s just the game of cricket. Sometimes you go through little patches where you struggle for form. He added, “We’ll back him and try set him some new challenges to get his mind off his own game if that’s what will help him to try get some good form going into the middle and end stages of the tournament,” said Mark Boucher, MI’s head coach.
While the Mumbaikar is struggling with form after getting dismissed on three consecutive ducks in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia. In the IPL 2023, with 15 and 1 runs in two games, played this season, he has continued his poor form in international cricket to IPL.
"Does it ever drive you crazy
Just how fast the night changes?"Suryakumar Yadav's poor run continues.. #MIvCSK #IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/kLspnYSQuf
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) April 8, 2023
“(Ajinkya) Rahane played some good cricket shots but it was their bowling that hurt us at the end of the day. Look at our bowlers and their batters.
“We have not had enough runs on the board.”In the game of T20 cricket, especially, now when we have impact players, we had seven batters today. For us to make 157 was not good enough on that wicket. We probably should have got 180-190,” he further added.
While at one stage, MI was 64-1 in the 7th over of the game, but as their opener batter Ishan Kishan got out, soon the home side fell down like a stack of cards, in between all the chaos for MI, a brilliant catch by Ravindra Jadeja on his bowling to dismiss star all-rounder Cameron Green.
Whereas in the chase, CSK lost their opener, Devon Conway, in the very first over, but Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ajinkya Rahane then added over 80 runs, Rahane was the highest scorer of Men in Yellow with his 61 runs and Ruturaj remained unbeaten on 40 to chase down the target of 158 runs.
Now the most successful side in IPL history, MI will take on Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 11 at Arun Jaitely Stadium in Delhi.