Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene has backed Suryakumar Yadav to do well despite his struggles in IPL 2026. Ahead of the crucial clash against Chennai Super Kings, the coach made it clear that the team will continue to rely on its senior batsman to return to form.

Suryakumar’s recent fall has been in the headlines Because MI wants to make a change in their season. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Jayawardene addressed concerns over his form.

“I mean, he won the World Cup as captain and was player of the tournament last year. So what else can you say? We have chatted about him. If you look at his batting in the nets, he practices like anyone else. Even in the matches, he is hitting the ball well. But the way he has got out at times has been unfortunate. Sometimes he hits a shot and gets caught on the boundary line, and sometimes He only faced a few good balls,” Jayawardene said.

“We just keep encouraging him. If you look at Surya, he has had three or four great years, not just last season, but he has had three or four great years. Players are human, and sometimes they go through phases where things don’t go their way. He understands that, and he will come back with a smile and play the way he knows best,” he said.

MI need a strong performance in the clash with CSK, who are ninth in the table with just two wins from eight matches. With the tournament entering the decisive stage, the team will hope their experienced players step up.

How has been Suryakumar Yadav’s form? IPL 2026?

Suryakumar’s figures this season highlight the concern.

In eight innings, he has scored 162 runs at an average of 20.25 and a strike rate of 140.87, which is below his usual standards in the middle overs. The bigger issue is the lack of impressive innings, his last six scores being 6, 33, 0, 15, 36 and 5.

“We just keep encouraging him. If you look at Surya, he has had three or four great years, not just last season, but he has had three or four great years. Players are human, and sometimes they go through phases where things don’t go their way. He understands that and he will come back with a smile and play the way he knows best,” Jayawardene said.

His recent outing against Sunrisers Hyderabad summed up this trend. Following a strong start from Ryan Rickelton, Suryakumar could manage just 5 runs from 5 balls before being dismissed by Ishan Malinga, missing the chance for MI to push towards an even bigger total.

Could Suryakumar Yadav step up for MI vs CSK?

The match against Chennai Super Kings has now become even more important for both MI and Suryakumar.

MI had lost the last meeting in Chepauk, and with their campaign in decline, they need a turnaround quickly. A player of Suryakumar’s quality remains central to that plan, especially in the middle overs where MI lack consistency.

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