Suryakumar Yadav opened up on his snub from India’s limited-overs tour of Australia in 2020-21, and how it prompted him to produce one of his most memorable knocks in the Indian Premier League.
During the 2020 edition of IPL, Surya slammed 79 not out off 43 balls to script Mumbai Indians' (MI) five-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a tense chase at Abu Dhabi.
Suryakumar’s fierce clash with then RCB skipper Virat Kohli was one of the highlights of that game. While Kohli tried to disturb the MI batter’s focus by staring at him, he couldn’t succeed in it.
“It was an emotional knock because just a few days before, the team for the Australia tour was announced," Suryakumar said while speaking on on JioHotstar.
“I had been building up for this over the past few years — my domestic season and IPL were going really well. I had prepared myself well for this season, even taking time during the Covid break to work on my body and mental health. I expected to be in the T20 squad," he added.
“Everyone around me, including teammates from other countries, thought I’d be flying to Australia. I was already on that flight, mentally. But when I wasn’t selected, it hit me hard. I couldn’t understand what went wrong."
Suryakumar Yadav was so disappointed that he took a break following the snub to rejuvenate himself.
“I started thinking in a reverse way, I thought what and where it went wrong. For the next 2-3 days, I didn’t speak to anyone," he said.
“I took a break and didn’t even practice. I knew my mind and heart were not in the right place, so I decided to relax instead. When I returned to the ground, people noticed I was off, and Mahela Jayawardene and Zaheer Khan could see it too."
Suryakumar revealed his teammate Kieron Pollard urged him to make a point, given RCB was being led by then Indian captain Kohli.
“Luckily, we fielded first. Slowly I started getting involved in the game. When it was our turn to bat, we lost a couple of wickets," he said.
“Before I went in, Polly (Pollard) came and sat next to me and said, ‘I think this is a perfect stage. The captain is also in the opposition team. It’s the perfect time to step up, not (to) show him but tell him that you belong somewhere’," he remarked.
Suryakumar also narrated that he went back to the drawing board to invent new ways of making runs post 2020.
“The T20 format has changed a lot in the past few years — scoring rates, strike rates, everything. Earlier, I used to bat at a strike rate of 140–150, but post-2020, I realised that to be the best, I needed to evolve," he said.
“I went back to the drawing board, worked on match simulations, and started practicing shots that would help me stay ahead of bowlers and captains.
“From 2021 to 2024, I focused on exploiting specific areas, finding scoring options where I could also minimise the risk. Everything I do in matches now, I’ve already practiced. I try to replicate those sessions exactly," he added.
(With PTI Inputs)
