The Mumbai Indians are staring at a potential early exit from IPL 2026, and one of their biggest concerns is the sudden dip in form of their star batter, Suryakumar Yadav. Head coach Mahela Jayawardene has broken his silence on the issue, offering insight into what's going wrong for the man who was once the most feared batsman in the league.

Just last season, Suryakumar Yadav was in scintillating touch, smashing over 700 runs. He also led India to a T20 World Cup victory. But this year, the story is starkly different. In nine innings so far, he has managed only 183 runs, with just one fifty—that came in Delhi. Most of his scores have hovered around the 20-run mark, with bowlers consistently targeting his body with hard-length deliveries.

"If he gets a few scores together, I think he will find that rhythm," Jayawardene said. "Sometimes when things are not going your way, it doesn't fall in place."

The coach pointed to Suryakumar's dismissal off Ramakrishna Ghosh as an example of his current luck. "It was a pretty good shot that went straight to the fielder. I've played enough cricket to understand—it's one of those things."

Despite the lean patch, Jayawardene insists the 35-year-old is in a "good space" mentally. The problem, he says, is that too many of his well-timed shots are finding fielders on the boundary. "He's definitely up for it. It's just that it hasn't worked. Even in the last game, the flick where he got caught—it's just a matter of time. He himself is disappointed, but he just has to keep working harder."

The coach also addressed the burden on Jasprit Bumrah, who has been carrying the bowling attack almost single-handedly. "Bumrah has not been getting enough support from the other end. He's managing both run control and wicket-taking, which is not easy. When everyone works together, it helps Bumrah be more aggressive rather than doing a holding job."

Jayawardene remained confident in Bumrah's class. "Everyone tends to have a slow season, but class is permanent. He bowled brilliantly today—unfortunate he could have taken a few more wickets."