Suryakumar Yadav has ended his amazing IPL 2025 season by winning one of the tournament’s top awards – the Most Valuable Player (MVP). Even though Mumbai Indians (MI) couldn’t make it to the final after losing to Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the second qualifier on June 1, Surya’s brilliant performance stood out.
He is only the second player from MI to win the MVP award and the first to do it since the award rules changed in 2013. What makes it even more special is that he’s the first middle-order batsman in IPL history to score over 700 runs in one season – something usually done by top-order players.
A season to remember
Suryakumar finished the season as the second-highest run-scorer, piling up 717 runs in 15 matches at a jaw-dropping average of 65.18 and a blistering strike rate of 167.91.
While Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudharsan claimed the Orange Cap with 759 runs, it was Surya’s all-round influence that swung the MVP points race in his favour.
How Surya clinched the MVP
The IPL MVP isn’t just about runs or wickets — it’s about impact. Since 2013, the award has been decided through a unique points system. Players earn:
- 3.5 points per six or wicket
- 2.5 points for each four, catch, or stumping
- 1 point for dot balls and run-outs
Suryakumar racked up 320.5 points, edging past Sudharsan (311.0). Rajasthan Royals’ Yashasvi Jaiswal came in third with 273 points. Notably, no RCB player cracked the top 10, despite their title-winning run — a trend that has persisted since the MVP system’s inception. Only Sunil Narine (KKR, 2024) has won the MVP while playing for the champion side.
Surya’s final innings of the season was a gem. A 44 off 26 blitz in the second qualifier that powered MI to 203/6. It was during this knock that he scripted history, becoming the first MI batter to score 700+ runs in a season, and also the first-ever non-opener to do so in IPL history.
He may have missed out on the Orange Cap, but in a season full of milestones, Suryakumar Yadav’s unmatched consistency and flair lit up IPL 2025 and earned him the league’s highest individual honour.