Former India and Mumbai batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has urged fellow Mumbaikar and India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav to work on his fitness if he is to regain his form.
Manjrekar said that Yadav’s age is finally catching up with him and the onus is on the Mumbai Indians star batsman to regain his form by first working on his fitness. Yadav is currently 35 years old.
When ‘Sky’ first came on the scene, his USP was his ability to play shots in the inverted ‘V’ (ie, from point to square leg to third man and fine leg). Naturally, this drew comparisons to another 360° player, AB de Villiers.
Suryakumar Yadav turned the ‘Supala’ (a pick-up shot at fine leg) into a trademark stroke and it made him one of the best T20 players of the early 2020s. However, now his form is deteriorating not only in international cricket but also in the IPL.
Suryakumar Yadav’s form in IPL 2026
Yadav has stood in for Hardik Pandya as captain of Mumbai Indians in two matches this year. But that didn’t help. Overall, he has scored just 195 runs in 10 matches at an average of less than 20 and a strike rate of around 146.
He has scored just one half-century this year, with a high score of 51. While Suryakumar Yadav’s T20I form has been at an all-time low since November 2024, there has been no dip in his IPL form. In IPL 2025, he scored over 717 runs in 16 matches, which is an MI record for most runs in an IPL season. He crossed the 25 mark in every match and created a world record.
If you don’t take care of your fitness, you will be exposed – Sanjay Manjrekar
Manjrekar was speaking on Sportstar’s ‘Insight Edge’ podcast and said that Suryakumar Yadav needs to keep his fitness and form sharp in his late 30s. He said that physical features are troubling him.
“I don’t think he’s as fit as he was 5 or 6 years ago. I mean, he’s older, but fitness-wise, I don’t think he is. If you’re on the wrong side of 30, if you don’t take too much care of your fitness, this game is so merciless, it will start to expose you, because the things you take for granted, seeing the ball and hitting all these shots, will start to happen, just find it more. “Those shots are difficult to play,” Manjrekar said.
“I’m sure about one thing: his fitness is not what it should be. If I were his personal coach, I would make him stronger on his feet, and spend time there instead of practicing all the time because that’s his game too.”
Suryakumar Yadav should learn from Virat Kohli- Sanjay Manjrekar
After this Manjrekar said that Suryakumar Yadav should take the example of Virat Kohli and learn from the legendary RCB player. Manjrekar explained how Kohli was able to make drastic changes in his game in his late 30s, the main reason for which was fitness.
“Take a page from Virat Kohli’s book. Virat is not in his early 30s; he is, and he has had a tough time in T20 cricket. But look at him this season. And what is the difference in fitness between Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli? I am telling you honestly, everything else is on their side.”
Surya has a wealth of experience. Over the years, he has learned how to score runs. He has seen success, so the mental side of things is there. Simply prepare your body to support your intention. And I felt that Rohit Sharma also lost and became weak because he did not take care of his fitness as much as he should have. They made things a little more difficult,” Manjrekar said.
“I see it with Surya too. So, you are going to take your fitness levels to the next level. I mean, go to peak fitness like Virat. I have said this earlier also. When Virat gets any success, the first thing he attributes is to his physical fitness.”
He said, “For Surya, that’s the only thing: Well, if he just focuses on his physical factors then he can make his journey a lot easier going forward. The mental side of things will take care of itself.”
Also read: Sanjay Manjrekar criticizes RR over Riyan Parag’s captaincy appointment, alleges bias