(ANI Photo)
Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain, made his Test debut against Australia in Nagpur on February 7, 2023. Although he was part of the playing XI for the opening Test of the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he struggled and was dismissed for just eight runs in the first innings.
Subsequently, Shreyas Iyer took his place for the second Test in Delhi, and Yadav was not selected for any further red-ball matches after the India-Australia series.
However, the 33-year-old, who was instrumental in India’s victory at the T20 World Cup 2024, has now voiced his ambition to compete in all three formats for India. He is focusing on making a return to the Test team by excelling in domestic cricket.
“I want to play for India in all three formats,” Suryakumar was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
Before the upcoming red-ball season begins, Suryakumar Yadav will represent Mumbai in the Buchi Babu Invitational Cricket Tournament. Initially left out of the Sarafraz Khan-led squad, Yadav was later included after he reached out to Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) selection committee chief Sanjay Patil, expressing his availability and eagerness to participate in the tournament.
“I will be playing the Buchi Babu tournament. It will give me a good practice session before the domestic season starts. I will join the team after the 25th. I’m always available to play for Mumbai and the club team whenever free,” Surya told Indian Express.
Surya’s recent remarks came shortly after India’s chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, stated that the board is currently only considering him for T20 internationals. This explanation clarified why he was excluded from India’s squad for the recent three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka.
Since his debut against England in March 2021, Surya has appeared in one Test, 37 ODIs, and 71 T20Is for India. His last ODI appearance was on November 19, 2023, against Australia in Ahmedabad. His performance in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, which India lost by six wickets, drew criticism due to his underwhelming batting display.
