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Was In Tears After Knowing I Was Selected For India, Reveals Suryakumar Yadav

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Was In Tears After Knowing I Was Selected For India, Reveals Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav, who last week received a maiden call-up to the national side, revealed that he could not control his tears after being announced in the T20I squad and added that it was a dream-come-true moment. Suryakumar further expressed excitement over potentially playing alongside Kohli.

A billion people in India thought Suryakumar Yadav had sealed his place in the Indian T20I squad with a 480-run season in IPL 2020, but the entire country was left in shock when the selectors overlooked the Mumbai Indians star for the T20Is against Australia. However, the right-hander only had to endure the pain of omission for only a couple of months as last week, the flamboyant batsman was handed a maiden call-up by the national selectors in the T20Is against England. It was a dream come true moment for Suryakumar, who over the past three years not only tore the IPL apart with his runs but also toiled hard in domestic cricket, impressing in every opportunity that came his way.

Understandably, the news of getting a call-up was an emotional moment for the 30-year-old, who perhaps in any other country would have had a dozen international caps by now, and speaking to bcci.tv, he revealed that he burst into tears the moment he got to know that he had been selected to represent the country.

“I was very excited as I got to know about the selection. I was sitting in the room, trying to watch a movie, and got a notification on the phone that I was picked in the Indian team for England T20Is. I started crying after seeing my name in the team. I called my parents, my wife, and my sister. We had a video call and all of us started crying,” the official website of BCCI quoted Suryakumar as saying.

“Along with me, they have also been trying to live this dream for a long time. It has been a very long journey and they are the ones who have stood by me throughout. It was really great to see them happy and have those tears of happiness. Everyone wants to play for India. But finally, my time has come.”

The call-up means that Suryakumar will get to play under the leadership of Virat Kohli, and the 30-year-old revealed that the Indian skipper is someone he looks up to. Putting an end to rumors that there was a rift between himself and Kohli – after the duo engaged in a stare-off during IPL 2020 – the Mumbai batsman asserted that he has always dreamed of playing under the captaincy of Kohli.

“Firstly, I am looking forward to spending some quality time with the team and soaking in the atmosphere when I reach Ahmedabad. I have always dreamt of playing under Virat Kohli for a long time and I am excited to go and learn a lot from Virat as quickly as I can so that I can be a better player.

“I have played against him in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the way he reflects his energy on the field even after achieving so much for India is remarkable. I have seen him on the field keeping himself charged all the time. His want-to-win attitude is something to learn.”

Should he make his international debut in the England series, Suryakumar will become one of the few lucky cricketers to have played under the leadership of both Kohli and Rohit, having spent years now playing under the latter. The explosive batsman spoke of Rohit’s calming presence and credited the Mumbai Indians skipper for his evolution as a cricketer.

“I still remember the time when I was batting with Rohit Sharma during my Ranji Trophy debut. When I walked out to bat, there were a lot of butterflies in my stomach. He just came up to me and said, mate, just keep things very simple. You have worked very hard to reach here. You just have to go out and express yourself. Think about nothing. Just express yourself.

“It is amazing to see that his approach towards the game or his batting or his advice to the young crop has still not changed. Even today, he tells me the same thing. His presence has really helped me a lot. Having played under Rohit, I have learnt many things about him and his game, how he keeps things very simple, and his astute understanding of the game.”

Suryakumar is currently playing for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and on Thursday, struck a 50-ball hundred versus Puducherry to mark his selection in the Indian national side.