Indian T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav is all set to join the Mumbai team for the rest of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024. Yadav, who had missed the league matches from the beginning due to personal reasons, will be returning in a crucial match against Services at Hyderabad. His return to the squad is expected to strengthen Mumbai’s team manifold as they look to push their ranking up in the tournament.
Suryakumar Yadav’s inclusion in Mumbai squad
The Mumbai Cricket Association had earlier announced a 17-member squad for the tournament without Yadav, but with his return, the explosive batsman will strengthen their batting order. Suryakumar had played only one match in the early stages of the Ranji Trophy, scoring just seven runs in the first innings against Maharashtra.
Despite this, he has been a mainstay for both India and Mumbai, and his involvement in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will be keenly followed.
Reports suggest that Yadav will be playing in the next game of Mumbai on December 3, under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer. The Shreyas Iyer-led team took home the 2024 season of IPL from Kolkata Knight Riders’ hands, and now, they will lead Mumbai in this decisive battle. With Yadav and Iyer at the helm, it is believed to be bringing a lot of experience to the Mumbai squad.
Suryakumar Yadav’s recent form has had mixed reviews. In India’s recently completed T20 series against South Africa, which India won 3-1, Yadav was uncharacteristically poor with the bat, getting only 26 runs in three innings.
But this below-par performance hasn’t eclipsed his very good performances over the past few years, and coming back to the Mumbai side is expected to add the much-needed depth to their batting order.
They have played three matches so far and won two out of those three while losing one. As of now, Mumbai is sitting fourth in Group E of the SMAT 2024 points table. Now with the inclusion of Yadav, the next match for them against Services could be critical for their move ahead in the tournament.
The batting of Mumbai will surely be bolstered with Yadav joining them, making them look much more potent at the crease. His return would strengthen the batting depth of the side but also add leadership and experience to the side, which might come in handy in high-pressure matches.
The team now will look to capitalize on Yadav’s strengths and experience to move up the points table and challenge for a top spot in the competition.
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