IPL 2022: "MI still is and will always be a champion team"

Mumbai Indians (MI) star batter Suryakumar Yadav believes his team is still a champion side despite a poor start to the IPL 2022 season. The five-time IPL champions have lost their opening five games and are rock bottom in the points table.

However, the 31-year-old feels it is just a matter of a few games before MI will be back to their best. Yadav has also been impressed with the way youngsters like Tilak Varma and Dewald Brevis have grabbed opportunities that have come their way.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Mumbai's encounter with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), here's what Suryakumar Yadav had to say while responding to Sportskeeda's query:

"It is still a champion team and will always be a champion side. It is just a matter of few games. The few people that have just joined in are doing really well. I feel happy for them, Dewald, Tilak. The way they have taken responsibility since the first game, they have been really good. I am sure they're going to make it really big."

"I am really flexible batting at any position" - Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav has arguably been MI's best batter this season. In just three games, the 31-year-old has scored a staggering 163 runs at a fantastic average of 81.50 with two half-centuries.

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While he has batted at No.3 for most of his IPL career for Mumbai, Yadav is open to batting wherever his team needs him to. With the likes of Brevis and Varma expressing themselves in the top-order, the 31-year-old is more than happy to play the role of a finisher and win games for MI. He stated:

"I am really flexible in batting at any position. I have been batting at No.3, 4 and 5 as well. It is all about situations. I prefer batting at any position and as long as I am winning the game for the team and scoring runs for them, more than happy."

MI will face LSG in their next game on Saturday. Having already lost five games, every match from here on could be a virtual knockout for the five-time IPL champions.