“I Didn’t Speak to Anyone” – Suryakumar Yadav Opens Up on Australia Tour Snub

India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has shared how difficult it was emotionally when he was not picked for the Australia tour in 2020-21. The decision came as a big surprise and was hard for him to accept, especially since he had been playing well in domestic cricket and the IPL.

Suryakumar Yadav Opens Up on 2020 Australia Snub

He said he had put in a lot of effort to improve his fitness and mental strength, using the COVID-19 break to train and prepare for the season. So, he was hopeful about making the T20I squad but was shocked when he didn’t get selected.

Mumbai batter Suryakumar Yadav was mentally prepared to fly to Australia, so not being picked left him shocked and heartbroken. He said even his Mumbai Indians and domestic teammates were sure he’d be selected, which made the snub even harder.

On the Experience show on JioHotstar, Suryakumar said, “It was an emotional knock because just a few days before, the team for the Australia tour was announced. I had been building up for this over the past few years my domestic season and IPL were going really well.

Everyone around me, including teammates from other countries, thought I’d be flying to Australia. I was already on that flight, mentally. But when I wasn’t selected, it hit me hard. I couldn’t understand what went wrong.”

The setback hit Suryakumar hard, and he took a few days off from training, avoiding everyone to clear his mind. When he returned, his MI teammates and staff sensed something was wrong.

SKY added: “I started thinking in a reverse way; I thought about what and where it went wrong. For the next 2-3 days, I didn’t speak to anyone. I took a break and didn’t even practice. I knew my mind and heart were not in the right place, so I decided to relax instead. When I returned to the ground, people noticed I was off, and Mahela Jayawardene and Zaheer Khan could see it too.”

Suryakumar turned his disappointment into motivation, scoring a quick 79 off 43 balls against RCB just days after the snub. After missing the tour, he decided to evolve his game, going back to basics, practicing match scenarios, and adding new shots to stay ahead in T20 cricket.

SKY concluded:  “From 2021 to 2024, I focused on exploiting specific areas, finding scoring options where I could also minimize the risk. Everything I do in matches now, I’ve already practiced. I try to replicate those sessions exactly.”

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