Kamal Ghorui
The happiness was clearly visible on Suryakumar Yadav’s face after he and his wife, Devisha Shetty, welcomed a baby girl on May 7. Ahead of the IPL 2026 clash between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, Suryakumar was spotted distributing sweets to paparazzi at the Mumbai airport.Suryakumar, who is set to lead Mumbai Indians against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the absence of regular captain Hardik Pandya, was seen handing out sweet boxes to camerapersons and photographers before the team’s departure to Raipur.
At the airport, Suryakumar celebrated the birth of his daughter with media personnel and warmly offered them sweets. “Yeh lo, aap log khaana yeh (Have this, you guys please eat it),” he said while distributing the boxes in a gesture that quickly gained attention on social media.Suryakumar, who captained India to the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup title, has endured a modest IPL 2026 campaign so far, scoring 195 runs from 10 matches. Despite the lean patch, his role remains crucial as Mumbai Indians take on RCB in a must-win contest that could heavily influence their playoff hopes. The five-time champions are currently placed ninth on the table with just three wins.Mumbai Indians are also closely monitoring the fitness of skipper Hardik Pandya, who missed the win over Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium due to back spasms. Although Hardik has travelled with the squad to Raipur, the franchise’s medical team — head of sports medicine Ben Langley and physio Nitin Patel — will make the final decision on his availability for Sunday’s match.Following the clash against RCB in Raipur, Mumbai Indians will travel to Dharamsala for their May 14 fixture against Punjab Kings before heading to Eden Gardens to face Kolkata Knight Riders on May 20. MI will conclude their league-stage campaign with a day game against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on May 24.
