Suryakumar Yadav remembers his first-class debut for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy 2010/11 season: “I shut the door, sat alone and pinched myself.” Having been a mediocre performance till the 2017 IPL, his 2018 deal with Mumbai Indians transformed his fortunes as he began to make a solid case for the blue jersey. In 2021, he made the national team. Yadav recalls making a joint video chat to his family upon his selection to the Indian Twenty20 International team for the England series. He said that as they were all sobbing, he closed his eyes and reflected on the difficulties he had overcome over the previous four to five years to reach this position in his career. He also thought that he did not need to establish himself at the age of 30 given his extensive experience playing professional cricket and managing important circumstances over the years.
“I locked the door and sat alone in my room for ten minutes, pinching myself and hitting myself in the back of the head. ‘Is this even real?’ I thought. I made a group video call to my parents, wife, and sister, who were all in tears. I said that I am aware that this is an emotional event, but let it to sink in. However, at that point, I closed my eyes and considered all I’d accomplished over the previous four-five years,” Yadav said on Gaurav Kapur’s Breakfast with Champions show. “Making your debut at 20-21 years old puts pressure on you to perform, but at 30, I didn’t have to. The fact that I hadn’t played for India, but had batted in a variety of scenarios, made me feel at ease. I experienced butterflies, pressure, and a rapid heartbeat. But I understood not to overthink things and not to worry about who was playing, just play the ball,” Yadav said.
Suryakumar Yadav shows his wife’s support
KL Rahul, Axar Patel, and Jasprit Bumrah, who were in his U-23 team among others, had already played for India in 2015-16, according to Yadav. “My wife (Devisha) questioned me, ‘Why aren’t you progressing?’” His mother urged him to be disciplined, set time restrictions, and eliminate distractions while on the field. He further said that Rohit Sharma told him on a recent trip to South Africa that Devisha changed his life.
“Axar, Bumrah, and KL played for India in 15-16 and continued progressing ahead. My wife and I decided to see a dietician and a batting coach. She advised me to work hard in all areas. Keep time limitations and eliminate distractions when it’s time for cricket. After my first game, she stated, ‘Your Journey begins today.’ Enjoy it today, but be cautious tomorrow. “Devisha is the turning moment in my life,” Yadav remarked.
