![Suryakumar Yadav scored a 15-ball fifty in SMAT 2026 [Source: X]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1794634058683_SuryakumarYadavscoreda15-ballfiftyinSMAT2026.jpg?type=hq)
Suryakumar Yadav scored a 15-ball fifty in SMAT 2026 [Source: X]
Suryakumar Yadav, who has been out of the Indian team since the T20 World Cup 2026, smashed a 15-ball fifty in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match between Mumbai and Hyderabad on Saturday.
SKY was replaced by Shreyas Iyer as the T20I captain, and since then, the veteran player has been out of favour. He needed a strong SMAT 2026 to make a comeback in the Indian side, and the right-handed batter started on the right note on Saturday.
Suryakumar Yadav smashes 15-ball fifty to stun Hyderabad
Hyderabad batted first, and the team posted 172 in their allotted 20 overs. The target was supposed to challenge the Mumbai batting lineup, but SKY made a mockery of the Hyderabad bowling attack.
The right-handed batter came in at number 4 when his team was 90/2. The openers had given a solid start, and Suryakumar continued the good work as he played aggressively and never allowed the opposition bowlers to settle against him.
He brought the 360-degree game into play as the former Indian captain blasted a 15-ball fifty and ended the innings with 60* off 21 balls, laced with 6 fours and 5 sixes.
Courtesy of his unbeaten knock, Mumbai defeated Hyderabad by 7 wickets, with 41 balls to spare.
Suryakumar Yadav aiming to get back to the Indian T20I team
Suryakumar Yadav was the captain of the Indian T20I team till the 2026 event, and under his guidance, the Men in Blue defended their crown as they defeated New Zealand to win the T20 World Cup.
While his captaincy decisions were spot on, his performances with the bat declined as runs dried up, and SKY couldn’t replicate his best form in the game’s shortest format.
In nine matches at the marquee T20 event, the former captain could only score 242 runs, with an average of 30.25 and a strike rate of136.72.
With SKY at the twilight of his career, the management decided to drop him after the World Cup. However, the 36-year-old has still not given up, and a string showing in the ongoing SMAT 2026 could help him regain his place in the Indian team.
