Former India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has opened up about the difficult period following his omission from the national team, admitting that it took time to move on from the setback. The experienced batter also stressed the importance of being honest with oneself, saying that self-awareness is essential to leading a happy life. Suryakumar last represented India in the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand on March 8, where the Men in Blue registered a commanding 96-run victory.

However, he endured a disappointing outing, getting dismissed for a first-ball duck. His poor run of scores eventually cost him his place in the team. Speaking at an event in Mumbai, the 35-year-old acknowledged that being left out of the Indian side was difficult to accept.

“Post the T20 World Cup win, it has been a little difficult. I don’t want to run away from that fact. If you aren’t honest with yourself, it’s very difficult to lead a happy life,” Suryakumar Kumar said.

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He also revealed that becoming a father helped him shift his attention towards his family during a challenging phase of his career. “To be very honest, it (not being part of the team) has been very difficult. But at the same time, during the IPL, I was blessed with a baby girl in May. The focus shifted completely towards her,” he added.

Suryakumar will now look to regain momentum in domestic cricket as he prepares to captain Mumbai in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The tournament will provide him with an opportunity to get back among the runs and strengthen his case for an India comeback.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai batter also shared an important message for youngsters aspiring to play professional cricket. He urged emerging players not to consider securing an IPL contract as their ultimate ambition, emphasising that representing India should remain the biggest dream.

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“See, the end goal, or even the first goal, should never be to think about playing in the IPL. Everyone dreams of playing for India. If you ask any kid playing on the Maidans of Bombay cricket, they would not say they want to play in the IPL,” he said.

Suryakumar further highlighted the importance of progressing through Mumbai’s age-group and First-Class cricket before targeting bigger opportunities.