2 min readMar 30, 2026 11:52 AM IST
One of the early talking points about the Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2026 opener against Kolkata Knight Riders was Suryakumar Yadav being listed as an impact sub when the teams were announced on Sunday. The 35-year-old walked out to bat at Rohit Sharma’s dismissal, but managed to score only 16 off 8 balls before falling to Kartik Tyagi.
MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene explained the reasoning behind using Surya as an impact sub, revealing that he had a groin issue and the team wanted to give him more time to recover fully.
“I hope you don’t create unwanted stories. The camp is very happy. Everyone’s happy. Sky came, joined us. He had an extra couple of days he wanted as well. He joined. He had a little tight groin. He was doing fielding and all that. I knew I had another 5 days from this game to the other game. I just wanted to give him that extra bit of time. He was even keen at the end to go for 3-4 overs”.
“I said, no, just fine. It’s okay. It was a change. Please don’t create any stories. It’s just that I have to take precautions. These are very valuable players for me to have them going throughout the season. These are calculated decisions that I make, and the management makes. There’s nothing beyond that,” Jayawardene said at the post-match presentation.
MI have had a history of using talismanic players as impact subs in the past. Rohit has been used in that role in the past, but before the season began, Jayawardene said that the management wished to use the 38-year-old in the field for as much time as possible.
“He is still making a huge impact on the team, whether he is on the field or off the field. But definitely this year, I want to keep him on the field as much as I can,” the former Sri Lanka captain had said.
MI next face Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on April 4.
