Suryakumar Yadav has suffered a brief setback because the National Cricket Academy (NCA) has not cleared him to play in the forthcoming IPL.
Surya, a well-known Twenty20 specialist, received a fitness examination at the NCA in Bengaluru on Tuesday. However, the NCA management is believed to have withheld approval, preventing him from fulfilling his IPL obligations with the Mumbai Indians for the time being.
The immediate consequence of this decision is that Surya will undoubtedly miss the opening match. The Mumbai Indians’ first game against the Gujarat Titans is slated for March 24 in Ahmedabad.
The gravity of this setback for Surya, who captained India in a Twenty20 series in South Africa in December before needing ankle surgery, can be seen in his social media post on Tuesday, where he tweeted a sadness emoji to show his regret.
Further updates on his availability will be based on his performance in the upcoming fitness test, which is slated for March 21. The Mumbai Indians camp is optimistic that he would join the squad shortly. MI’s second game, against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad, is three days later, and he is expected to be available.
While speaking to the media on Monday, Mumbai Indians coach Mark Bouhcer warned that Surya would miss a few games. “We are waiting for details on Suryakumar from the BCCI. We have always faced fitness concerns, but we have a world-class medical team. We may lose one or two fitness members, but we must move forward,” Boucher added.
He went on to say, “As the coach of the Mumbai Indians, I am going to be a little biased and wish to see my best players in every game. I have a soft place for my players, and I understand that they may have niggles, in which case I will consult my medical team and work with them accordingly.”
Closed practice games
Meanwhile, MI management has issued a statement stating that this year’s practice games would take place behind closed doors at the Wankhede, like they always do.
