3 players who can replace Suryakumar Yadav at Mumbai Indians

It is widely regarded that Suryakumar Yadav‘s time with the Mumbai Indians (MI) is coming to an end following a disappointing 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). The right-handed batter scored a mere 270 runs at a strike-rate of 147.54, while averaging 20.76. 

Suryakumar’s poor form in the IPL also harmed his international career. The 35-year-old was sacked as India’s T20I captain while also losing his place in the side for the upcoming tours to Ireland and England. 

Should the middle-order batter leave MI ahead of the 2027 season, the five-time champions will have a huge task on their hands to find an adequate replacement from within the squad. Luckily for them, they have a few players in their ranks who can step up from their current role in the side and serve as long-term replacements for Suryakumar. 

Here are three players who can replace Suryakumar Yadav in the Mumbai Indians side:

3. Robin Minz

A member of Jharkhand’s 2026 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy-winning squad, Robin Minz has formed part of the Mumbai Indians for two seasons now, but his opportunities in the playing XI have been few and far between. He played just two matches in the recently concluded IPL season, where he batted at number seven. 

Minz is a player who can offer a lot more to the MI side should he bat up the order, in place of Suryakumar Yadav. The 23-year-old bats at number four or five for Jharkhand and most notably scored an unbeaten 31 off just 14 balls in the SMAT final against Haryana to help his side secure the win. His overall T20 strike-rate is also 155.06, which is good enough for a middle-order batter in the IPL.

2. Sherfane Rutherford

An overseas option to replace Suryakumar Yadav in the side, Sherfane Rutherford is in the same boat as Robin Minz, who is wasted in the lower-middle-order and is treated as a finisher. The left-handed batter bats at number four or five for the West Indies and could play the same role for the Mumbai Indians in the absence of Suryakumar Yadav. 

Rutherford had one of his best T20I innings whilst batting in the middle order during the 2026 T20 World Cup. He scored an unbeaten 76 off 42 deliveries against England in the Group stage to help the Caribbean outfit beat the 2022 champions. The 27-year-old hit seven sixes and two fours, a kind of knock MI fans are used to witnessing from Suryakumar.

1. Naman Dhir

Naman Dhir did play in all 14 matches of the 2026 IPL season. However, if Suryakumar is unavailable for selection in 2027, the 26-year-old will have to take a lot more responsibility with the bat in the middle order. Throughout the season, Dhir batted at number three, where he scored 318 runs at a strike-rate of 147.22. 

If MI are without the former India captain next season, they can promote captain-in-waiting Tilak Varma to bat at number three, something India does in T20I, and have Dhir bat at number four.