Suryakumar Yadav has given a befitting reply to the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee with the bat. After getting sacked from the T20I captaincy and dropped from the Indian National Cricket Team, he showed his class in the Mumbai T20 League. The 35-year-old batter bounced back with a sensational batting masterclass at the Wankhede Stadium on June 8.
The aggressive knock came at a crucial time for the player, who was recently excluded from tours of Ireland and England. With the decision-makers deciding to move on from SKY, he chose the local game to prove himself.
“Playing at the Wankhede Stadium feels special, and it was good to get some runs under the belt to help the team in winning the game,” he said.
Chasing 153 against the Maratha Royals, Suryakumar batted at number four and put the opposite number on the back foot. He remained unbeaten to guide his team, the Knights North East Mumbai, to a win with 24 balls left.
Suryakumar looked in good touch from the start, amassing 72 runs off just 36 deliveries, laced with 13 fours and 1 six. His effort gave the Triumph Knights their first victory in the ongoing season of the tournament.
Earlier, he accumulated 48 off 24 balls against the SoBO Mumbai Falcons. It is good news for his fans, who were worried after the batter started the new campaign with scores of 19 and 4.
Suryakumar’s shocking omission from India’s team was surprising for many, considering the fact that he led India to their third T20 World Cup triumph a few months ago.
However, chief selector Ajit Agarkar decided to end SKY’s association with the Men in Blue and named Shreyas Iyer as India’s new T20I skipper from the upcoming assignments.
Since replacing Rohit Sharma as skipper after the 2024 T20 World Cup, Suryakumar has scored 932 runs in 45 matches at an average of 25.88. In the IPL 2026, he posted 270 runs in 13 games for the five-time champions Mumbai Indians.
Despite his struggles, Suryakumar is still one of the best batters in the slam-bang version of the game. He is the only player to hit T20I centuries in four different countries: India, England, New Zealand, and South Africa. Mr. 360 still has enough fire left in him, and he once again showed his trademark style at the Wankhede Stadium. He hasn’t given up and is ready to fight for his spot in the national team.
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