In a cause of concern for five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI), middle-order mainstay Suryakumar Yadav has been ruled out of rest of IPL 2022 due to a left forearm muscle injury.
The news comes as a massive blow for the Rohit Sharma-led MI, who are aiming to finish the ongoing season on a good note after being officially eliminated from the race to playoffs.
“Suryakumar Yadav has sustained a muscle strain on the left forearm and has been ruled out for the season. He has been advised rest, in consultation with the BCCI medical team,” said a statement by the franchise ahead of their match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the DY Patil Stadium.
According to the advisory issued by the tournament, Yadav sustained the injury during Mumbai’s thrilling five-run win over Gujarat Titans at the Brabourne Stadium on May 6. Yadav was one of the four retained players by the five-time IPL champions ahead of the 2022 IPL Mega Auction.
He had missed Mumbai’s first two matches against Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals due to his recovery from a hairline fracture he sustained while fielding in India’s home T20I series against West Indies at Kolkata in February this year.
Yadav had then gone to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for rehabilitation and recovery from the hairline fracture for over three weeks and then joined the Mumbai side in IPL 2022.
Yadav, 31, was one of the few bright spots for Mumbai in a forgettable campaign, being their second-highest run-getter by scoring 303 runs in eight matches at an average of 43.29 and strike-rate of 145.67, including three half-centuries.
One of the three fifties from Yadav’s bat was a 39-ball 51 which led to Mumbai registering their first win of the current season in a return fixture over Rajasthan Royals at DY Patil Stadium.