Mumbai, April 27, 2025 — Suryakumar Yadav, the Mumbai Indians’ batting dynamo, ripped through the Lucknow Super Giants’ bowling attack yesterday, hammering a 28-ball 54 to seize the IPL 2025 Orange Cap in a high-octane showdown at Wankhede Stadium. The knock, a masterclass in controlled aggression, propelled him to the top of the tournament’s run-scoring charts, cementing his reputation as one of T20 cricket’s most lethal finishers.
Mumbai, batting first after losing the toss, needed a spark. Early wickets had them wobbling—Rohit Sharma fell for 12, and the scoreboard looked shaky at 66 for 1 after the powerplay. Enter Suryakumar. He started cautiously, sizing up the LSG bowlers, before unleashing a barrage of shots that left the crowd roaring. A scooped six off Prince Yadav had jaws dropping, even catching Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya off guard on the sidelines. By the time he was done, Suryakumar’s 54—studdedWITH four boundaries and three sixes—helped Mumbai post a daunting 215.
The performance wasn’t just about flair. It was clinical. Suryakumar’s innings pushed his tournament tally to 427 runs in 10 matches, overtaking Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudharsan, who’d held the Orange Cap with 417 runs. His average of 61 and a strike rate of 169.44 tell the story of a batsman blending consistency with fireworks. This wasn’t a one-off either—Suryakumar’s IPL 2025 has been a string of gems: 29, 48, 27 not out, 67, 28, 40, 26, 68 not out, 40 not out, and now this 54. No failures, just relentless scoring.
LSG, chasing 216, never got close. Mumbai’s bowlers, led by Pandya’s tight spell, restricted them to 178, sealing a 37-run win. But the night belonged to Suryakumar. During the mid-innings break, he spoke to broadcasters, his grin wide but his words measured. He called wearing the Orange Cap “special,” a first for him in a while, and noted the slowish pitch might trouble LSG’s batsmen. He wasn’t wrong.
The Orange Cap, awarded to the IPL’s leading run-scorer, now sits with Suryakumar, but the race is tight. Sudharsan trails by 10 runs, while Virat Kohli (392 runs) and Nicholas Pooran (377 runs) lurk close behind. With four league games left for Mumbai, Suryakumar’s grip on the cap will face stern tests.
Yesterday’s match also saw Mumbai climb to fourth in the IPL 2025 points table, with 12 points from 10 games. LSG, with 10 points, slipped to sixth. The tournament, now past its halfway mark, is a dogfight, and Suryakumar’s form could be Mumbai’s ticket to the playoffs.
Suryakumar Yadav: 427 runs, 10 matches, average 61, strike rate 169.44, highest score 68 not out. Sai Sudharsan: 417 runs, 8 matches, average 52.12, strike rate 152.19. Mumbai Indians: 215/6 in 20 overs (Suryakumar 54, Rickelton 58; Bishnoi 2/40). Lucknow Super Giants: 178/9 in 20 overs (Mumbai won by 37 runs).