Star India batter Suryakumar Yadav recalled the time when he patiently waited for his maiden India call-up. However, he made his international debut in 2021 at the age of 30. When he was 27 and had still not made his India debut, he shared how he faced tough conversations at home. He also said that his dad told him to continue playing and not worry if things did not work out as well.

“At 27-28, around 2017-18, I felt I had been playing for more than ten years, so I didn’t know if I would play for India. But the conversations at home were about why you were playing the sport. My wife also started saying that people have already played for India who were playing with you in U-19 and all that. I thought I would give two to three more years and see. Most of the players who have played for India have played at 21, 22, and 24 at most. At 28, I thought, if not cricket now, then what? Dad had told me not to worry and that we would do some business or something,” he said. (via Mashable Middle East)

“In 2011, I came to Mumbai Indians. But in three years, I did not get a lot of matches. I started playing in 2014, actually, and that is when people realised that I had scope because I got the platform. I played the IPL for three to four years and then got married in 2016. But the brutal conversations started at home. They said you are playing IPL, but what next? Those who played with you are already representing India, but what are you doing extra to play for India? That is when it hit me really hard. That is when we started working harder, cut down on Friday nights and used that time,” he stated.

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Suryakumar Yadav also opened up on trolling and using social media. He said that it was difficult to stay away from social media completely as well.

“It is impossible to stay away from social media. If someone is saying in today’s time that they are completely cutting off and not seeing what is happening, that is only partially right. I am sure everyone lies a bit. It is very difficult to stay away. You move so much, you play, you meet people. You have to meet people, and they will say things. It is very tempting. If you are doing well, you want to know what people are talking. When you are not, at that time also, you want to know who is talking badly about you. You cannot run away from all these things,” Suryakumar Yadav concluded.