Suryakumar Yadav spoke about the emotional impact this tour of Australia for the year 2020-21 had on him since he was not selected to be part of the Team India squad. The effect of this, according to him, was that motivated him to put in one of his best performances in the IPL. Notably scoring an unbeaten 79 off 43 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore during a closely contested match in Abu Dhabi, he delivered the Mumbai Indians to win.
While it was only that ordinary season match, it stirred up as Kohli went instead of using the on-field bullying when his team was down-their-way, leading RCB and the national team at the time. During the game, Kohli did not say much but walked up to Suryakumar while he was batting, which added to the tension.
Discussing that same game on his show, Suryakumar said it was just more emotional for him as he had just listened to the announcement for the Australian tour. He was in great form, and at that time, just fully expected to be on the flight to Australia. “I was doing well in domestic cricket and then the IPL, and I took the time during the Covid break, really worked on my fitness and mental health, so I really thought I’d make it,” he said.
After the snub, Suryakumar took some time off to collect his thoughts. “I spent a few days not talking to anyone, just figuring out what went wrong,” he explained. He knew he needed a break because he wasn’t in the right headspace. When he finally got back to practice, his teammates, including Mahela Jayawardene and Zaheer Khan, noticed he wasn’t himself.
His teammate Kieron Pollard encouraged him to step up, especially since Kohli was on the opposing team. Suryakumar felt it was a great opportunity to prove himself. “When I went in to bat, things weren’t looking great for us at first, but Pollard told me it was my moment to show that I belong at this level,” he said.
Since then, Suryakumar has focused on evolving his game. He recognized how the T20 format has changed and knew he had to change with it. While he used to aim for a strike rate of 140-150, “I realized I needed to adapt to stay competitive,” he noted. He dedicated himself to practicing new shots and strategies to improve his game from 2021 onwards.
Now, as he prepares to take on Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2025, he’s ready to show what he’s got at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
