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Legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar believes that Suryakumar Yadav's unavailability has been a big miss for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2024).
Suryakumar is on the sidelines as he continues to recover from a sports hernia surgery that he underwent in January. The swashbuckling batter is yet to join the MI camp for IPL 2024 and is reportedly set to miss a few more games.
Gavaskar pointed out that Suryakumar's availability will give the Mumbai-based side a big boost, considering the 33-year-old's proven track record in the format. Speaking on Star Sports, the cricketer-turned-commentator opined:
"Mumbai Indians are definitely missing Suryakumar Yadav. Suryakumar bats at No.3, and he can counterattack so well, but he is not available at the moment. MI will be hoping and praying that he is available very quickly because he can make a difference. He is a game-changer."
It is worth mentioning that Suryakumar Yadav is currently the No. 1-ranked T20I batter in the ICC rankings. With 605 runs from 16 outings at a fantastic strike rate of 181.13, he was Mumbai's leading run-getter in the previous edition.
The Hardik Pandya-led side have had a disastrous start to their IPL 2024 campaign. They slumped to their third straight defeat, suffering a six-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday, April 1.
After being asked to bat first, Mumbai finished at 125/9, which Rajasthan chased down in just 15.3 overs. With his loss, MI became just the second team after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to lose a home match this season.
"Coaches know more about it rather than us players" - Piyush Chawla on Suryakumar Yadav's recovery
MI's veteran leg spinner Piyush Chawla has stated that the Mumbai-based franchise is awaiting confirmation from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) regarding Suryakumar Yadav's fitness.
He also suggested that the coaches and support staff at the NCA would have a better idea about the batter's recovery. Speaking to reporters ahead of the MI vs RR game, Chawla said:
"NCA still has to look after that and coaches know more about it rather than us players."
Mumbai are languishing at the bottom of the points table. They will now take on Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, April 7.
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