India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav has strongly hit back at speculation surrounding an alleged wrist injury, dismissing the rumours as baseless and insisting that anyone questioning his fitness either
‘doesn’t understand cricket’ or is acting like a ‘pure physio’.
Multiple reports over the past year have claimed that Suryakumar has been dealing with a wrist injury. Some have gone as far as saying that he hasn’t disclosed the extent of it to avoid losing his place in the team. The theory gained traction because it fit Suryakumar’s form: apart from his general struggle for runs through the past many months, the right-hander seems to have lost his leg-side flicks, which used to be his USP.
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“First of all, I’d like to clear the air a little bit. The people talking about a wrist injury are either pure physios or people who don’t understand cricket,” Suryakumar said, speaking to broadcasters ahead of Sunday’s IPL 2026 match against the Rajasthan Royals.
“Because if I really had a wrist injury or such a problem, then the shots I’ve been playing in practice and in matches, especially my flick shots, which are completely wrist-based and depend on hand-eye coordination, I wouldn’t have been able to play those shots.”
The Mumbai batter made it clear that he prefers to stay away from outside noise and focus only on what he can control.
“But I don’t want to say much about that because it’s not in my control. These are all uncontrollable factors, and I don’t pay too much attention to them,” he added.
The 35-year-old also reflected on the difficult stretch he has endured over the last few months. Despite struggling badly in IPL 2026, Suryakumar said his work ethic and preparation never changed.
Speculations go beyond batting
Suryakumar’s comments come amid growing uncertainty over his future as India’s T20 captain following a disappointing IPL season. While head coach Gautam Gambhir is reportedly backing him, selectors are ready to move on to younger alternatives, with Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Tilak Varma considered contenders.
“As you said, I’ve worked hard throughout the season. I worked hard at the start of the year as well. In the New Zealand series, I won the Player of the Series award. Then I had a good World Cup, at least according to me. Then came the IPL. I didn’t score runs in the IPL, but I never stopped working hard,” Suryakumar said.
“I try to focus on what is in my hands. At the end of the day, performance is never guaranteed. What is in your control is hard work. So I keep working hard and try to put my best foot forward. If success comes, that’s great. If it doesn’t, that’s okay too. We’ll go back to the drawing board and work hard again. God is watching. Sooner or later, the rewards will come.”
