IPL 2024, MI vs SRH: Suryakumar Yadav hit peak form when he smashed 102 not out in just 51 balls on a not-so-easy pitch for batters at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. The World No. 1 T20I batter steered MI out of trouble against high-quality pace before making light work of a 174-run chase.
Suryakumar Yadav came up with a statement of sorts on Monday at the Wankhede Stadium. His IPL 2024 form before MI’s home game against SRH was likened to the keys on a piano — up and down, as his scores read 0, 52, 0, 78, 10, 26, 10, 56. However, the World No. 1 T20I batter showed why he is rated the best in the world with a 51-ball 102 not out that helped MI comfortably outclass the in-form SunRisers.
Suryakumar, who returned to the IPL 2024 season after a long injury layoff, battled tiredness during his whirlwind knock, not throwing in the towel even though he found it hard to run between wickets comfortably. “I felt it was the need of the hour for me,” Suryakumar Yadav said after winning the Player of the Match award. The Mumbai star acknowledged the value and the timing of his second IPL hundred. He proved his naysayers and detractors wrong. He never had to justify his spot in the T20 World Cup squad, but he needed self-assurance that everything was going right.
It’s not easy returning from a long injury layoff, which involved surgery in treating sports hernia, and straightaway finding peak form in a tournament like the IPL. And Suryakumar was under pressure straight away as MI’s campaign, under their new captain Hardik Pandya, was floundering. Their captain was booed and the atmosphere in the dug-out looked tense. It was not as if Suryakumar was struggling to put bat to ball, but the seasoned campaigner was not able to live up to his own high standards.
However, on Monday, Suryakumar was a different beast. Building on a fifty he scored against KKR earlier in the month, Suryakumar showcased his ability to soak in pressure and play the situation in his imitable style. Suryakumar and Tilak Varma joined hands when Mumbai were reeling at 31 for 3 while chasing 174. SRH captain Pat Cummins greeted Suryakumar in the middle with a wicket maiden over. Suryakumar was beaten 4 times on the trot by Cummins, who bowled a Test match line on the Wankhede Stadium pitch that was assisting swing and seam bowling under the night sky.
“Initially it was really tough. We were struggling and decided to play with the straight bat. Play it like Tests or ODI knowing we have a 360-degree batter,” Tilak Varma said after their unbeaten 143-run partnership — the highest for Mumbai for the 4th wicket of below in the history of IPL.