Suryakumar quits Mumbai captaincy to focus on batting

Mumbai Ranji team skipper Suryakumar Yadav Monday stepped down from the top spot following his team's dismal loss by an innings and 44 runs against Tamil Nadu in an away encounter.

Mumbai are placed sixth in Group A with 11 points from six games so far this season. Their only victory came against Uttar Pradesh which required a heroic effort from pacer and number nine batsman Shardul Thakur. They had also lost earlier against minnows Jammu and Kashmir at home.

Although he could not produce the results as captain, Yadav's form with the bat has been impressive. He has scored 485 runs at an average of 53.88, including two tons.

When asked what prompted him to step down when his team is in a tough position, Suryakumar said he felt he would add more value to the team without the burden of captaincy.

"It is a personal decision. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) also feels I can score more freely as a player without being the captain," he told IANS.

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman was appointed captain earlier this season due to the unavailability of experienced players Zaheer Khan and Rohit Sharma.

Mumbai have two games left, against Baroda and defending champions Karnataka.

"This step does not mean I am going to leave the responsibility. But I will be more focussed as a senior player for Mumbai."