Five-time champions Mumbai Indians will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against the Kolkata Knight Riders on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. After finishing fourth in the 2025 season, Hardik Pandya and Co. are eager to deliver a dominant performance and secure the IPL trophy for the sixth time. Ahead of the new season, MI have added several fresh faces to their squad, resulting in a selection dilemma for the management, most notably, who will bat at No. 3?
In a recent interaction on Star Sports’ show Superstars Mastimania, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma engaged in friendly banter while also addressing the No. 3 question.
The conversation began with the host asking Surya to reveal something about Tilak that the world didn’t know. Surya immediately replied, “Tilak is very irritating and annoying.”
What the world doesn’t know about Tilak Varma?
Will he take charge at No.3? Surya spills it all!
Superstar vibes, unfiltered masti, and pure MI energy#TATAIPL 2026 #RCBvSRH | SAT, 28th MAR, 5.30 PM pic.twitter.com/qBnYt2PEej
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 20, 2026
Hearing this, Tilak fired back with a playful yet pointed question: “Pehle yeh batao, 3 number jaa raha hoon ya nahi main?” (First, tell me whether I’m going to bat at No. 3 or not.)
Surya responded jokingly: “Pata nahi, ab IPL mein main toh nahi hoon captain. I think tujhe Hardik se puchhna padega.” (I don’t know. I’m not your captain in the IPL anymore. You’ll have to ask Hardik.)
In the international setup, Surya has backed Tilak as India’s No. 3 batter on several occasions. However, in the IPL, the decision lies with skipper Hardik Pandya, who returns to lead Mumbai Indians for the third season in a row.
Earlier, veteran batter Rohit Sharma started his preparations for the upcoming season of the IPL. In a video posted by Rohit Sharma on Instagram, the 38-year-old batter can be seen practising his trademark big shots in a Mumbai Indians training jersey.
Sharma has won six IPL titles, including one with Deccan Chargers and five as captain of the Mumbai-based franchise, making him the joint most successful captain in the tournament’s history.
(With ANI Inputs)
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