Suryakumar Yadav closes in on Pollard's Mumbai Indians record after modest start to IPL 2026

Key facts

• Suryakumar Yadav has 3,907 runs in 121 T20 matches for Mumbai Indians.
• He needs nine runs to surpass Kieron Pollard's 3,915 runs for second place.
• Rohit Sharma leads MI with 6,289 runs in 240 T20 matches.
• Suryakumar scored 21 runs off 12 balls in MI's match against CSK on May 2.
• He has 157 runs in seven IPL 2026 innings at an average of 22.42.
• In 21 T20Is this year, he has 641 runs at an average of 35.61.
• He became MI's second-highest T20 run-getter on May 2 after scoring four runs off his first ball.

Milestone within reach at Wankhede

Suryakumar Yadav stands nine runs away from overtaking Kieron Pollard as Mumbai Indians' second-highest run-scorer in Twenty20 cricket. The milestone could fall during the team's match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. Currently third on the franchise's all-time list, Suryakumar has amassed 3,907 runs in 121 matches and 119 innings, averaging 37.56 with a strike rate of 151.14. His tally includes two centuries and 29 half-centuries. Pollard, the Trinidadian all-rounder who spent 13 seasons with MI, scored 3,915 runs in 211 matches at an average of 28.78 and a strike rate of 147.01, with 18 fifties.

How the record was broken against CSK

On Saturday, May 2, during MI's ninth match of IPL 2026 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai against Chennai Super Kings, Suryakumar entered the record books by becoming MI's second-highest run-getter in T20s. He needed four runs to surpass Pollard's tally and achieved the objective on the first ball of his innings, bowled in the 6.5 over. Batting at No. 4, he faced 12 balls and scored 21 runs with three fours and one six. He was dismissed by debutant Ramakrishna Ghosh on the fourth ball of the 11th over. At the end of seven overs, he was on 4 runs from 2 balls.

Rohit Sharma remains the benchmark

Only Rohit Sharma has scored more runs for Mumbai Indians in the 20-over format. Rohit, who last played a competitive match on April 12 in Mumbai against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has 6,286 runs in 240 T20 matches for MI, averaging 29.93 with a strike rate of 132.72, including two centuries and 41 fifties. Suryakumar's overall T20 runs for MI comprise 3,886 in 121 IPL matches and 47 in two Champions League T20 appearances. He needs 67 more runs to become the second player to reach 4,000 T20 runs for the franchise.

A lean IPL season amid international success

Suryakumar has had a modest IPL 2026 season so far, scoring 157 runs in seven innings at an average of 22.42 and a strike rate of 142.72, with one fifty. After a strong start to the year — including a dominant 84 not out against the USA in the T20 World Cup opener in February — his form has dipped. In the 15 innings since that match, he has managed only 315 runs at an average of 21 and a strike rate of 132.35, with just one half-century. Across 21 T20 internationals this year, however, he has scored 641 runs at an average of 35.61 and a strike rate of 156.64, including five fifties.

Context: the global T20 run-scoring landscape

The world record for most T20 runs for a single team belongs to Virat Kohli, who has amassed 9,464 runs in 291 matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The 37-year-old right-hander also tops the list of all-time IPL run-scorers. Suryakumar, who led India to the T20 World Cup title in 2026, now has 3,916 runs in 123 T20 matches for MI after his innings against CSK. With nine more runs, he will officially claim second place on the franchise's all-time list, a testament to his consistency since his debut for the team.

What lies ahead for Suryakumar

Tuesday's match against Sunrisers Hyderabad offers Suryakumar the chance to not only surpass Pollard but also to begin closing the gap on Rohit Sharma's formidable total. If he scores 93 runs, he will become only the second MI batter to reach 4,000 T20 runs. His recent lean patch in the IPL raises questions about his form, but his international numbers suggest the class remains. The coming weeks will determine whether he can translate his T20I success into a strong finish for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026.

The bottom line

• Suryakumar Yadav needs nine runs to become Mumbai Indians' second-highest T20 run-scorer, surpassing Kieron Pollard.
• He achieved the milestone of becoming MI's second-highest run-getter on May 2 against CSK, scoring 21 off 12 balls.
• Rohit Sharma remains MI's all-time leader with 6,286 runs in 240 T20 matches.
• Suryakumar has scored only 157 runs in seven IPL 2026 innings at an average of 22.42.
• In T20Is this year, he has 641 runs at an average of 35.61 and a strike rate of 156.64.
• He needs 67 more runs to become the second MI player to reach 4,000 T20 runs for the franchise.