Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene revealed Suryakumar Yadav had a tight groin, explaining his Impact Sub role. The star batter managed 16 runs as MI defeated KKR in their IPL 2026 opener.
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene provided clarity on Suryakumar Yadav’s fitness after their opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 29.
Speculation had swirled when the India T20I captain was left out of the starting XI and instead named as an Impact Sub. Fans questioned why Yadav was not part of the main lineup, especially given his stature in the team.
Jayawardene addressed the matter in the post-match press conference, confirming that Yadav was dealing with a tight groin. He explained that the batter was fit enough to bat but not to field for extended periods.
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“I hope you don’t create unwanted stories. The camp is very happy. Everyone’s happy. Sky came, joined us. He had an extra couple of days he wanted as well. He joined. He had a little tight groin. He was doing fielding and all that. I knew I had another 5 days from this game to the other game. I just wanted to give him that extra bit of time. He was even keen at the end to go for 3-4 overs,” Jayawardene told reporters.
Yadav came in at No. 3 as an Impact Sub in the second innings. He struck a boundary off his first ball and scored 16 runs from eight deliveries, including three fours, at a strike rate of 200.
Mumbai Indians secured their first opening-game victory since 2012, defeating Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets with five balls remaining.
KKR batted first and posted 220/4, with Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi scoring half-centuries. For Mumbai, Shardul Thakur was the standout bowler, claiming three wickets, while Hardik Pandya added one.
In response, MI’s openers set the tone. Rohit Sharma smashed 78, while Ryan Rickelton top-scored with 81. Their partnership ensured the chase remained on track. KKR’s bowling attack saw Sunil Narine, Kartik Tyagi, and Vaibhav Arora pick up one wicket each, but they could not prevent Mumbai’s strong finish.
