IPL 2024: Hapless Mumbai Indians to receive Suryakumar Yadav boost on April 5

A struggling Mumbai Indians (MI) are set to receive a major boost as the T20 stalwart, Suryakumar Yadav, is set to join the team on Friday, April 5 after being cleared by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

Suryakumar, who is No. 1 on the list of T20I batters, played his last competitive match against South Africa in December 2023. He scored a splendid century in the third T20I in Johannesburg on December 14 but suffered a grade 2 tear to his ankle during the series.

The right-handed batter went under the knife in Munich on January 17 for a sports hernia, a condition that worsened over time and required medical intervention.

After going through a rigorous rehabilitation process at the NCA, the 33-year-old is all set to join the five-time champions in their training session at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai as they prepare for their upcoming home game against Delhi Capitals on Sunday, April 7. It is expected that Suryakumar's physical condition will be monitored during the training sessions and a call on his participation in Sunday's afternoon fixture will be subsequently made.

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Can Suryakumar Yadav be MI's messiah?

Mumbai Indians, under new captain Hardik Pandya, have been in dreadful form so far in IPL 2024. They have suffered defeats in their first three matches and are languishing at the foot of the table. Neither the batting nor the bowling has been up to the mark.

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While cricket is a team sport, the return of a talismanic player like Suryakumar could motivate the team's morale substantially. The flamboyant batter has the experience of playing 139 IPL matches and has scored 3,249 runs at an average of 31.85 and a strike rate of 143.32. His T20I numbers are even better as he has an average of 45.55 and a strike rate of 171.55 after playing 60 matches. If Suryakumar can bring his A-game to the fore, Mumbai, who are known to perform better as the season progresses, can become a force to reckon with.