Mumbai, April 5 (IANS): Struggling to put their campaign back on the rail following three successive defeats, Mumbai Indians received a boost on Friday as Suryakumar Yadav joined the squad to strengthen his batting. Suryakumar Yadav joined his teammates at the Wankhede Stadium for an afternoon practise session ahead of their match on Sunday. He is likely to boost Mumbai Indians' batting lineup in the match against Delhi Capitals on Sunday.

On Friday, the middle-order batter came to the stadium earlier than the team and spent close to an hour batting in the nets, playing his trademark shots all across the ground.

Following his long batting session, Surya then did some training and mobility drills followed by catching up with his teammates and speaking with Mark Boucher, head coach, and Kieron Pollard, batting coach, during the practise. The 33-year-old Mumbai batter was declared fit to play by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) following surgery to treat a sports hernia in Munich, Germany.

Suryakumar, one of the most prominent T20 batters in the world-renowned for his 360-degree short-making, last played competitive cricket in December 2023 during the T20I leg of India's tour of South Africa. He picked up an ankle injury while fielding in the third T20I at Johannesburg, where he scored 100 off 56 balls, his fourth century in the format. India completed a series win in South Africa under his captaincy.

Suryakumar, who won the ICC Men’s T20I Player of the Year for 2022 and 2023, then underwent a sports hernia surgery in Munich, Germany, on January 17, which further ruled put him of action. His availability is a big boost for MI, who have been winless in the competition so far under Hardik Pandya’s leadership.