IPL 2025: Mahela Jayawardene shrugs off Suryakumar Yadav's injury concerns
What's the story
Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mahela Jayawardene has allayed fears over star batter Suryakumar Yadav's fitness.
The speculation arose after MI's thrilling 20-run win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2025 Eliminator on Friday.
Despite being a key player in MI's batting line-up this season, Yadav was seen getting some attention from physios during and after the match, raising concerns of a possible injury ahead of an important knockout clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS).
Coach's assurance
Jayawardene reassures fans about Yadav's fitness
At the post-match press conference, Jayawardene reassured fans by saying that no major concerns were flagged by the medical staff.
"I think these are a few old souls that we get a bit of bandaging, a bit of time. And I saw boys getting it done, a few others as well," he said while addressing reporters at the press conference.
Injury concerns
Jayawardene downplays injury fears amid tough IPL schedule
Jayawardene acknowledged that the grueling IPL schedule can cause minor physical discomforts, but he dismissed any major injury concerns for Yadav or other players in the squad.
"We know it's a tough schedule for us, but I think everyone's healthy, everyone's fit. And don't worry about those little tightnesses. I haven't heard anything from the physios. I'm pretty sure that even with one leg, these boys will be playing for us," he added.
Stellar performance
Yadav's record-breaking performance in IPL 2025
In the Eliminator, Yadav scored a valuable 33 off just 20 balls, including one boundary and three sixes.
This was his 15th score of 25 or more this season, setting a new T20 record for most such scores in a single tournament.
Notably, Yadav is MI's top scorer this season with 673 runs so far in 15 matches at an impressive strike rate of over 167 and average of over 67.