MAJOR SETBACK?: Suryakumar Yadav's risk of missing first 2 IPL 2024 games for Mumbai Indians-Reports

In the IPL 2024 opener, the Gujarat Titans will face Mumbai Indians, in what promises to be a thrilling encounter and a derby match. The match will feature Hardik Pandya facing off against his former team, adding an extra layer of excitement. With the teams' win probabilities almost evenly split, cricket fans can expect an intense battle at Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, March 24, at 7:30 pm. However, there might be things MI will have to worry ahead of this clash. 

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Suryakumar Yadav could miss the first two IPL matches for Mumbai Indians 

Mumbai Indians (MI) batsman Suryakumar Yadav has a tight timeline to be ready for the franchise's first two IPL 2024 matches, against the Gujarat Titans on March 24 and the SunRisers Hyderabad on March 27.

According to reports, Suryakumar is now receiving rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru after suffering an ankle injury during India's tour of South Africa at the end of last year. While the cricketer has posted updates on his strength and conditioning routine on social media, it is unclear whether he has started batting practice yet. According to PTI a BCCI source told them: 

"Surya's rehabilitation is on track and he will certainly 'Return to Play' in the IPL itself,"

 "However it is still not clear whether the NCA's Sports Science and Medical Team will give clearance to play in the first two away games against Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad."

"There are still 12 days to go before MI play their first game but it could be a race against time to get fit by the first match itself," 

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The Mumbai Indians' third game of the 2024 Indian Premier League, scheduled for April 1, at the Wankhede Stadium, against the Rajasthan Royals, will take place after a critical four-day break.

With this gap in mind, MI has to manage Suryakumar Yadav's workload carefully. Given the impending games and his crucial position in the squad, the team management must give his recuperation first priority and make sure he is ready to play as MI will look to lift their 6th IPL title to break the tie with CSK under the new captainship of Hardik Pandya.

Furthermore, it is even more important to manage Suryakumar's workload efficiently because the 2024 T20 World Cup is quickly approaching, just after the Indian Premier League, and he is expected to play a significant part for the Indian side. His health and well-being will be crucial to MI's and the national team's success in these competitions because of his importance as a vital player.