Team India player Suryakumar Yadav has admitted that things changed for him for a good ever since he started playing Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL. The swashbuckling player made his ODI debut during the first ODI against Sri Lanka and was named man of the series as well for scoring 31 not out, 53 and 40 respectively in the three-match series.
India went down to Sri Lanka by three wickets (D/L method) in the final ODI in Colombo but clinched the series 2-1. At a post-match conference, Suryakumar Yadav said that he became a more mature cricketer after he started playing for MI.
He explained: “I have always been batting the same that I am batting right now. After I came to Mumbai Indians in 2018, things started changing a bit. I got to know what my responsibility is. How to go about my game and how can I take it one step ahead. That’s when I started practicing even more. I talked to all the players who knew me really well since the last 5-6 years. I am happy with the way things are going.”
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While speaking about his stroke play, Suryakumar Yadav shared that playing cricket in Mumbai has taught him a lot of things and made him tougher as a batsman as well. He added: “Talking about the strokes, I have been a Mumbai boy. So, whenever you grow up in Mumbai, the types of cricket you get over there, club games and domestic cricket, they are very challenging. There, automatically I have to think what strokes I have to play on that kind of wickets. The same thing I have carried on to the international stage as well. I will be doing the same things, just try to keep things simple and follow my routine.”
However, the way Suryakumar Yadav has been playing, there’s no doubt that he would be part of the upcoming T20 World Cup squad for India. So far, he has played 3 ODIs and as many T20Is and has scored 124 and 89 runs respectively as well.
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“Obviously, it’s a dream playing for India. There has been a lot of effort, pride and patience behind this. It has been worth the wait and I am really happy about it. From now on, how I build it, it is all in my hands. And I am really excited for the journey ahead,” he concluded.
