Former India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has admitted that the period following his removal as India's captain and his absence from the national team has been challenging. However, the Mumbai batter says he is now focused on rediscovering his love and passion for cricket.
Suryakumar Yadav has described the months following India's T20 World Cup triumph as a difficult phase in his career. Despite leading India to their second consecutive T20 World Cup title on home soil in March, Suryakumar subsequently lost the T20I captaincy and his place in the national team, with Shreyas Iyer being named skipper for India's next assignment.
Speaking at a Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) event, the 36-year-old admitted that accepting the changes was not easy but revealed that the birth of his daughter in May helped him shift his focus and find happiness away from the cricket field.
"Post the T20 World Cup, it has been a little difficult. I don't want to run away from the fact that if you're not honest with yourself, it's very difficult to lead a happy life. To be very honest, it has been very difficult," Suryakumar said.
He added that the arrival of his baby girl during the IPL brought a positive change in his life.
"The last few months since she was born have been very beautiful," he said.
Suryakumar Yadav Looks to Rediscover His Passion for Cricket
The Mumbai batter has not featured in top-level cricket since the IPL, where Mumbai Indians endured a disappointing campaign, finishing second from the bottom. He later represented Mumbai in the T20 League and also played club cricket but missed out on Mumbai's Ranji Trophy squad due to insufficient preparation for red-ball cricket.
Suryakumar is now preparing for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he will lead Mumbai. The tournament is scheduled to begin on November 14, with Mumbai set to play all their matches in Kolkata.
Reflecting on his difficult period, Suryakumar revealed that conversations with his wife helped him reconnect with the passion he had as a 15-year-old aspiring cricketer dreaming of representing Mumbai.
"The first two months after the IPL were difficult, but then I thought, why not think about how I was before? How I started my cricket, when I used to think I wanted to play age-group cricket for Mumbai and first-class cricket for Mumbai," he said.
He further explained that his wife encouraged him to bring back the same enthusiasm and passion that motivated him during his early cricketing days.
"She said the same thing: you need to bring back that love and passion for the game, what you had when you were a 15-year-old kid who wanted to represent Mumbai in age-group cricket," Suryakumar added.
Winning the Championship for Mumbai Is the Main Goal
Suryakumar said he has returned to his old training routine and is once again focusing on improving his game, contributing to his team and achieving success.
According to him, concentrating on cricket rather than the setbacks has helped him regain his confidence and perspective.
"The same thing I'm following right now: what I did 10-15 years ago – training again, following the same passion, same love for this game. Everything is back to normal," he said.
The former India captain also made it clear that his immediate priority is to help Mumbai achieve success in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
"The main goal is what I used to think before – to win the championship for Mumbai," he concluded.
With the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy around the corner, Suryakumar will be eager to lead Mumbai to silverware while rebuilding his rhythm and rediscovering the motivation that shaped his cricketing journey.
