Suryakumar Yadav has had a tough few months with a dip in his form. But as Mumbai Indians gets ready for the new IPL season, captain Hardik Pandya and coach Mahela Jayawardene aren’t worried about his performance.
Suryakumar Yadav’s Form: Hardik Pandya and Mahela Jayawardene Weigh In
“He has scored a lot of runs for so many years and I am not really worried or not concerned about his form. He has batted brilliantly, he has been a match-winner for India and Mumbai Indians, and he brings a lot of energy in the group,” Hardik said.
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Speaking about the same, Jayawardene said, “We are not very concerned about SKY. He had a couple of practice games for us, and sometimes, the way he has played and how he has gone about his game, it’s fantastic to watch. When he fails, we all feel, ‘okay, he’s human as well’. So, we just take it at that and allow him to enjoy his batting out there for us…”
Hardik Pandya On The Impact of the Impact Player Rule on All-Rounders
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In the past few seasons, the Impact Player rule has made things challenging for all-rounders. Hardik Pandya commented that with this rule in place, it becomes harder to secure a spot in the team if you’re not a fully balanced 50-50 all-rounder.
“Going forward, whether that can change or will that change is something we will have to see. But yes, if you want to encourage more all-rounders, they will need to have their spot in the team for them to develop over the years,” the Mumbai Indians captain said.
Meanwhile, the IPL will keep using the Impact Player rule, which lets teams substitute one player during a match. This rule will continue at least until 2027, as approved by the BCCI. Although some captains like Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma have raised concerns about the strategy behind it, the rule has given uncapped players a chance to play, which they might not have had otherwise.
“Yes, the good all-rounders – Axar, Jadeja and others – continued to find a way in the XI but more options meant someone like Washington Sundar hardly played in 2024. So overall development of players like Washington Sundar was certainly impacted but at the same time, coaches had more options to play with.”
“Like beefing up batting or strengthen bowling as per the game requirement. Whatever was happening, the spectators and viewers weren’t complaining because the match wasn’t over even when it was 50/4 or 200/3,” a franchise official was quoted as saying.
ALSO READ: Game-Changing Rules In IPL 2025: Saliva, Impact Player, And the Second Ball
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