Suryakumar Yadav marked his return to domestic cricket on Saturday with a 21-ball 60 and said his omission from India’s T20I plans had hurt him.
The innings came in Mumbai’s opening match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, against Hyderabad. Suryakumar’s hitting helped Mumbai chase 173 in 13.1 overs for a seven-wicket win, with 41 balls left.
He was part of the India side that won the T20 World Cup at home. He said winning an ICC title at home was something nobody had done before, so he expected to keep his place for the series that followed. Instead, he was left out.
The Mumbai Cricket Association then appointed him Mumbai captain, a reflection of the faith it still had in him while he was out of the national squad.
“The same hunger I had earlier to play for India, when I used to score runs after returning to domestic cricket, has come back again. If I want to play for India again, I will have to break the door down once more. All right, let’s do it,” Suryakumar said after the match.
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He said the hurt had become motivation. “But the selectors must have had their reasons and must have thought things through before taking that decision. But yes, I was hurt. If you don’t feel sad or hurt, how will you turn that into passion, and how will you play with that passion? That is what I am trying to do now,” he added.
Suryakumar also spoke about how T20 batting is changing. He said sides now chase 250 and 260, which means keeping the same intent through the middle overs rather than easing off after the powerplay. His middle-overs game has always been high-risk, high-reward, he said, and he is trying to take even more risks now.
The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is the domestic stage he has returned to. He said he wants to score consistently and help Mumbai win. He has been out of the India squad for a few months, and he played down the idea that Saturday’s innings was a message to the selectors, with a selector watching at the ground.
“It is not about making a statement. I have been batting this way for the last four or five years, and I am enjoying it just as much today. This is an entertainment format, so I want to go out there and express myself freely,” he mentioned.
Suryakumar also thanked Mumbai Cricket Association president Ajinkya Naik for backing him when he was out of the India side.
“To stand by me during that difficult period, show support and make me the captain of the state team again – he could have chosen someone else. He had that option, but the responsibility, love and respect he has given me mean a lot,” he said.
Playing for Mumbai carries extra meaning for him, he said, because the association backed him in age-group and first-class cricket. Mumbai have opened the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with a win. Suryakumar is 35, and his case for a recall rests on consistent performances for Mumbai.