Mumbai, May 21 (NationPress) In a crucial clash at the Wankhede Stadium, the Mumbai Indians faced off against the Delhi Capitals on a challenging and sluggish pitch under slightly overcast skies. Suryakumar Yadav, often referred to as SKY, showcased a different side of his batting in this T20 match.

He remained at the crease until the end, skillfully managing his innings, absorbing pressure from the spinners during the middle overs, and then unleashed his aggression in the final two overs to guide his team to what he deemed an "above-par" total. Surya finished with an impressive unbeaten score of 73 runs off 43 balls, propelling MI to a competitive total.

"This is one innings which I was hoping for a long time: a difficult situation, to bat through to the end. Maybe it (the score) is a little above par. It was a slightly slow wicket given the weather conditions. We wanted to take it deep and had discussed this during practice. Planning and patience can yield great results, and it felt satisfying while batting," Suryakumar Yadav shared with the broadcasters JioStar during the mid-innings break.

Coming into bat after MI lost Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, and Ryan Rickelton early, Suryakumar took charge, tempering his naturally aggressive instincts and adopting a more patient approach.

He formed two significant partnerships, including a 55-run stand for the fifth wicket with Tilak Varma (27) and an unbroken 57-run partnership with Naman Dhir (24 not out off 8). Ultimately, he concluded his innings with 73 runs off 43 balls, striking seven fours and four sixes, achieving a strike rate of 169.76.

In this performance, the 34-year-old, who captains India's T20I team and is hailed as one of the top players in the format, matched the record for the most consecutive scores of 25 or more in men's T20s. Suryakumar now holds 13 consecutive scores of 25+, tying with Temba Bavuma from South Africa, and is poised to break this record in MI's upcoming match in IPL 2025.

Known as SKY, this prolific batsman expressed confidence that the total was defendable on this pitch. "I haven't assessed the dew yet, but we believed it was a 160-165 wicket. Let's see what unfolds – a thrilling contest awaits," he remarked.

The Mumbai Indians are in dire need of a victory in this match to secure a spot in the playoffs. Even if they face defeat, they can still qualify by beating the Punjab Kings in their next encounter, hoping for a Delhi Capitals loss against PBKS in their final league game.