Suryakumar Yadav continues to enjoy the full backing of the Mumbai Indians management and understandably so, considering everything he has achieved in T20 cricket over the last few years.

But as IPL 2026 enters its decisive phase, the returns from the MI star have become increasingly difficult to ignore. And the latest setback came on Sunday against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur, where Suryakumar was dismissed for a golden duck by veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar off the very first ball he faced.

It was the second time this season that Surya walked back without scoring, having also suffered a first-ball dismissal against Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium last month — with his prolonged slump continuing to plague the five-time champions.

Suryakumar had briefly stepped away from the squad following Mumbai’s previous fixture to be with his family for the birth of his second child. He skipped the team’s travel to Raipur and only rejoined the camp a day before the RCB clash, where he also captained the side in the absence of injured skipper Hardik Pandya. But the short break did little to change his fortunes.

With just 195 runs in 11 innings, Suryakumar’s average has now dropped to 17.73 — a frustrating IPL season and one of the worst in his decorated career.

The downturn is particularly surprising considering Surya entered this season as the reigning IPL Most Valuable Player after a sensational 2025 campaign.

And well, although the MI man could find his form again, it’s going to be of no use, as the Mumbai Indians were ultimately eliminated from the IPL 2026 Playoffs with their loss last night — one where Bhuvi came back to haunt Surya with the bat later on to deliver the final crushing blow as RCB sealed a thrilling last-ball victory to climb back to the top of the table themselves.