New Delhi: With the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 less than two weeks away, the Mumbai Indians have suffered a major blow. As their in-form middle-order batsman Suryakumar Yadav is unlikely to be fit in time for the franchise’s much-awaited opening fixture against Delhi Capitals on March 27.
According to reports, the 31-year-old is yet to fully recover from a hairline fracture on his thumb, which he sustained during the T20I series against West Indies last month. Following which he was subsequently ruled out of the T20I series against Sri Lanka. Yadav is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.
“Surya is currently at the NCA doing his rehabilitation. He is well on his way to recovery but there is a possibility that his participation in the opening game will be a real touch-and-go affair. So there could be a possibility that he might be advised by the board’s medical team to not risk playing the opener,” a senior BCCI source was quoted as saying to PTI.
As per the BCCI source, Surya is expected to be fit in time for Mumbai’s second game “I think by the second MI game, he would be 100 percent fit for the match. It is likely to be more of a precautionary measure if he doesn’t play the first game,” the source added.
Needless to say, Yadav has been one of the most important pillars of five-time champions over the last few years. Being without their number 3 batsman even for a single game is a hassle for Mumbai, considering they don’t have some of the players who could be relied upon in the previous seasons of IPL.
