India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav is set to participate in the Buchi Babu invitational cricket tournament, representing the Mumbai team. According to The Indian Express, Yadav confirmed his availability and interest in playing the tournament to Sanjay Patil, the head of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) selection committee, on Wednesday night. The Mumbai team is presently captained by Sarfaraz Khan, and the tournament is planned to begin on August 15.
“I will be playing in the Buchi Babu tournament. It will provide me with valuable practice before the domestic season begins. I plan to join the team after the 25th. I am always ready to play for Mumbai and my club team whenever I have the chance,” Surya shared with The Indian Express.
“He has told us that he can participate in the Buchi Babu tournament, and we will include his name in the Mumbai team. Surya always supports Mumbai cricket whenever he can. He is one of the few players who participate in club matches in Mumbai’s local grounds,” a source from the MCA confirmed.
The selection committee had already chosen a 17-member team, and it is known that Yadav will play in the Mumbai vs Jammu & Kashmir game in Salem starting on August 27. However, Yadav will not be the captain of the Mumbai team.
“We asked Surya, and he recommended that Sarfaraz should keep leading the team, while he himself would just play as a regular player,” a source said.
The Indian team won’t have any more official matches after the series against Sri Lanka. Many Indian players will be invited to play in the Duleep Trophy, which is planned for September. Yadav didn’t get chosen for three One Day International (ODI) matches against Sri Lanka because the head of the national selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, had mentioned earlier that they are only thinking about using him for Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). “Right now, Surya is only seen as a T20 player and isn’t being considered for ODIs,” Agarkar explained.
The Buchi Babu tournament is usually the first event of the season for domestic teams all over the country. Many teams participate to check their backup players before the upcoming Ranji Trophy season.
