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Former Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav admitted that he was disappointed after being overlooked for India's next series following the T20 World Cup triumph and the change in captaincy.
However, the setback has reignited his determination to represent the country, with the Indian batter asserting that he is eager to prove his worth and earn his place back in the national team. Suryakumar Yadav made an impressive return to competitive cricket on the opening day of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, smashing an unbeaten 60 off just 21 deliveries against Hyderabad. Playing his first match since the IPL in May, the right-hander struck six fours and five sixes to power his team to a comfortable seven-wicket victory. His explosive knock helped complete the 173-run chase with 41 balls to spare. Suryakumar appeared to be back to his explosive best, striking at an impressive 285.71 at the Jadavpur University Campus 2nd Ground in Kolkata. "After winning the [T20] World Cup, you naturally think that you will play in India's next series after the IPL. It's not easy to win an ICC event, especially at home, which nobody has done in the past. It felt great to win that tournament. But the selectors must have thought of something to decide [to change captaincy]. But I was definitely disappointed. If you're not sad after such things, how will you turn it into passion? The same hunger that I had to play for India is back now. I want to play for the country again, so I have to knock down the [selectors'] door," Suryakumar said after the game in Kolkata, as per Cricinfo. Yadav reiterated his determination to make a comeback to the Indian team, saying he has been working extensively on his mental approach and cricketing skills while maintaining focus and discipline towards his goal of representing the country again. "My intent is clear - to make a comeback. When you have that target in mind to play for India, you work in one direction and bat in a disciplined way. I have worked on a lot of things from my mental game to the skills," he added. Yadav struck such massive sixes during his explosive knock that the ball had to be replaced on four occasions. All four maximums came off his straight bat, sailing between long-on and the straight boundary, with national selector SS Das watching from the sidelines. When asked whether his performance was a message to the selectors, Suryakumar responded by recalling a scene from the Hindi biographical film MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. "In the movie his friends said that hit sixes where the selectors are sitting. That was my plan today. It would have been nice if the selectors were sitting near the straight boundary. My aim is to score runs consistently and help the team win. I'm just enjoying this entertaining format and want to play freely," Suryakumar joked. (ANI)
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