Suryakumar Yadav's disappointing IPL 2026 campaign continued as he was dismissed for a first ball duck in Mumbai Indians' clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur on Sunday.
Leading Mumbai Indians in the absence of injured captain Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar returned to the playing XI only a day prior to the match after a brief paternity break following the birth of his second child.
However the comeback proved to be a forgettable outing for the India T20I skipper yet again.
Suryakumar was sent back to the pavilion by experienced RCB pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar off the very first ball. Bhuvneshwar delivered a fuller delivery outside off-stump which jagged back after pitching.
Trying to play an attacking drive Suryakumar edged the ball thickly to Virat Kohli at first slip who made no mistake in taking the catch. This early breakthrough provided a significant momentum to RCB and put the pressure back on Mumbai Indians.
Second Golden Duck Of The Season Raises More Questions
This was the second golden duck of IPL 2026 for Suryakumar. Earlier in the season he had been dismissed for a duck against Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium.
Repeated failures has been a concern for the Mumbai Indians especially as the team struggles on the points table.
Suryakumar's form also comes under scrutiny when considering his future as India's T20I captain. Recent reports suggest that selectors might start looking for other candidates if his poor form continues.
The right-handed batter has not looked comfortable for most of the tournament and has failed to produce the match-winning innings the fans have come to expect.
So far this season Suryakumar has scored only 195 runs in 11 matches at an average of 17.73.
It is currently the worst average he has recorded in an IPL season since 2017 when he averaged 17.50 in a struggling season.
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Fans react strongly on social media
As expected, fans had plenty to say on social media following Suryakumar's dismissal. Supporters expressed frustration with many questioning his place in the Indian T20 squad.
One user mocked the batter by commenting, "Suryakumar Yadav is now Shunyakumar Yadav." ("Shunya" meaning zero in Hindi.)
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The comment garnered much attention as fans joined in the conversation on his struggles in the IPL this year.
Pressure mounting on the Mumbai Indians Suryakumar's continued lack of form is one of the biggest storylines of this year's tournament.
