IPL 2025: How MI star batter Suryakumar Yadav innovated the famous ‘Supla’ shot?

Suryakumar Yadav's 'Supla' shot, a flick towards fine short leg, originates from his tennis ball cricket days in Mumbai. His innovative shot became one of the most-talked cricket strokes in international cricket.

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Suryakumar Yadav's Supla shot

Mumbai Indians flamboyant batter Suryakumar Yadav has been one of the best batters in the IPL over the years. He has consistently piled up runs in every season of the tournament. The 34-year-old plays fearless and attacking brand of cricket, outfoxing with his 360-degree strokeplay and innovative shot-making

Suryakumar Yadav has often pulled out all shots in his arsenal and demonstrated them with remarkable flair and confidence, leaving the fans and spectators in awe of his creativity on the pitch. One of the shots that has often been considered a trademark of Suryakumar is ‘Supla’ shot, which involves a flick towards the fine short leg or offside, executed with deft wristwork and precise timing

How Suryakumar Yadav managed to execute an innovative shot that was not witnessed neither in domestic nor international cricket for decades?

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Skill from tennis ball cricket

The ‘Supla’ shot is not a conventional cricket stroke that has been played in international cricket for decades but a creative invention shaped by Suryakumar Yadav’s formative years of tennis ball cricket in the maidans of Mumbai. Back in 2024, the flamboyant batter revealed that used to play a shot in tennis ball cricket in Mumbai and the people started to give it name, eventually calling it a ‘Supla’ shot. ‘

Supla’ shot is a street-style cricket shot, which flicks over the short fine leg. Suryakumar Yadav has been playing this shot in domestic and international cricket as well as in the IPL, earning him a widespread recognition for his 360-degree game and ability to innovate under pressure, making the ‘Supla’ shot a signature move that epitomizes fearless and street-smart approach in batting.

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How SKY perfected Supla shot?

Playing Supla shot requires exceptional wrist strength, sharp hand eye coordination and precise timing. Perfecting it isn’t easy — it takes relentless practice and countless hours of repetition. Speaking to the JioCinema show 'In The Nets' in the previous IPL season, Suryakumar detailed the unique innovation that awed the cricketing world. 

The star batter stated that he perfected the shot by playing with a rubber ball in the rainy season on cement tracks with his school friends, adding that they used to make the ball wet before bowling. Suryakumar Yadav’s friends used to bowl to him from knees to head and to avoid getting hit by the ball, he had to quickly develop his reflexes and invent unconventional ways to control the shot, eventually leading to the creation of the 'Supla' shot.

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When ‘Supla’ shot first shot into the limelight?

The unique and innovative shot first gained significant attention in 2020 during the T20I match between India and England. Suryakumar Yadav was playing his debut match for India against England in Ahmedabad and executed a unique offside scoop off pacer Jofra Archer, which became a standout moment. The audacity and precision of the shot stunned the fans and experts alike, turning it into a viral moment. 

The name was not officially labelled as ‘Supla’ at that time, but it was this shot that marked the beginning of its mainstream recognition. In the IPL, an innovative shot by the flamboyant batter grabbed further attention as he consistently outfoxed the bowlers, especially in pressure situations. His fearless execution and mastery of the shot helped popularize ‘Supla’ across all formats of the game, making it one of the most-talked strokes in modern-day cricket.

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Suryakumar Yadav in IPL

Suryakumar Yadav has been one of the most consistent batters over the last few years in the IPL. Suryakumar began his IPL journey with Mumbai Indians before plying his trade for Kolkata Knight Riders and then returning to his first IPL team. Since 2018, the 34-year-old has been one of the batting mainstays for the five-time IPL champions. In his IPL career, SKY has amassed 4104 runs, including 2 centuries and 27 fifties, at an average of 34.20 and a strike rate of 148.05 in 162 matches.

In IPL 2025, Suryakumar Yadav is currently leading the chart in the Orange Cap race, amassing 510 runs, including 3 fifties, at an average of 63.75 and a strike rate of 170.56 in 12 matches.