Mumbai and Mumbai Indians batsman Suryakumar Yadav spoke to The Indian Express on a variety of topics after being chosen for the first time in the Indian team (T20 squad). From their shot selection, hit mantras, tattoos, and family, the hitters were sincere during a chat.
Excerpts:
How did you feel about registering with the India team?
I’m very excited. It’s like a dream come true. Only on the first day, I met some players. I have positive vibes and energy. Now I look forward to the practice sessions and later also the matches.
You are a fabulous sweep player. How did you become one?
The sweep was always there, because where I used to train there used to be a lot of turning tracks. To counter that, I had to do something different. So, from the age of 14-15, I started playing sweep strokes. Slow and steady, maar maar ke aur aadat ban gai. Abhi mazaa aatha hain, shot khelne mein. Love it. (By playing it often, it became a habit. Now I enjoy playing the shot)
I heard you were a serious badminton player.
He used to play badminton initially, for school and the state. The problem with badminton was that I didn’t have much time to spend with my friends. Ghar ke bahar rehne milta nahi tha. (I didn’t have much time to be out of my house) The game ends quickly, but in cricket, it starts in the morning and ends at night. Then my love for cricket grew more.
How did you work towards your success?
I don’t think it was an overnight success. I feel like it’s been going on for a long time. But maybe in 2017 or 18, I realized that it was about time I did some smart work that can help me take a step forward. So that was the year that I realized and started to work harder on my game, I started to realize what I can do more to become a better hitter, which can help me step up and become a best cricket player.
Did you have conversations with someone?
Whenever I came back to my room after any game or after any tournament, I used to realize what I could have done better and what I can do better in upcoming tournaments. So I used to score a lot of points, I started working on that, maybe a fitness-related (aspect) or maybe some mental aspect that I needed to cover. So I kept doing those little things at the right time. And I knew that when the time is right, everything will fall into place. So I kept working smart. And I kept pushing everything I needed. At that moment. I kept talking to myself about what I can do better at that time. It was important to know what I needed from myself in that situation. That helped me a lot during that time.
Did the people talking about ‘you deserve to be chosen on the team’ affect you? And what kept you going on those days?
Not really. Maybe the passion for this game kept driving me. I have always felt that the more you work hard, the more success you will achieve in the times to come. I think the love for this game and the passion for this game kept driving me. Obviously when I was between races, I used to think that they would pick me … etc, etc. But at the same time, you have to be in the present. I just thought I’ll try to do what I can do. Right now I have opportunities on my way and I just need to score runs. So that’s the only thing that kept me motivated.
You had a chat with Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene about the strike rate. Can you detail that?
In 2019, he sat down with me and explained to me … what should I do in the powerplay and what should I do after the powerplay. Obviously he wanted me to be a better cricketer at the time and to contribute more by being a little bit smarter. So he just sat with me and it was like he was completely on you. He said just one thing, every time you hit after the power play, just try to hit a lot of holes, take two, run hard between the grounds and the hit rate will be amazing too. So I did the same.
READ | How Tendulkar’s message changed Suryakumar’s perspective
Was there any talk about your offside play?
I do not remember that there was talk of an offside. Because when I opened that year, I was playing all over the park. So there was no talk of the offside. But yeah, I knew I had to work hard on my hitting again because people will come up with different plans. So I had to cover all the areas or check all the boxes, which I couldn’t do in the first year with my team.
Can you explain to Jofra Archer what was behind the reverse scoop?
When they hit me in the helmet, I said (to myself) a limit or six toh marna that I suffer. (You should match a four or a six.) I went to Hardik and said yeh wala stroke banta hai kya? (I asked Hardik if the take was on) He said, it’s completely your decision, and whatever you think, just back off. It gave me positive vibes and I thought to myself that if this ball is thrown here, I will give it a try. I wanted to do something different.
Heard you’re superstitious and a movie buff
My mother is superstitious. She always used to ask what color would suit my son. Depending on that, the colors of the car kept changing. Even the color of the watch kept changing. She doesn’t get into my cricket but tries to control external things through her bidding. As for movies, I like to watch comedy movies, I try to watch Akshay Kumar and Rajpal Yadav movies. Heri Pheri, Phir Hera Pheri, Chup Chup Ke, Andaz Apna Apna are some of the movies that I have seen several times. It brightens my mood, especially after a bad day.
READ | Suryakumar Yadav: The wait that lengthens
You have a lot of tattoos
Yes, I have one in my parents’ hand. Then near the heart is a tattoo of my wife. And there are others, the meanings of which I have written down in a notebook.
How do you spend time outside of cricket?
I have many friends from school who have nothing to do with cricket. So when I return I will spend a lot of time with them. The most important thing is that I spend a lot of time with my family when I’m not playing because there is always one tournament or another and you don’t spend a lot of time with the family. So when I go back I try to spend a lot of time with my mom, my dad, my sister, my wife, and my dog. They try to keep me happy as much as they can because they know how much pressure an athlete faces when they go to a tournament or any match. So there is no discussion of cricket when I get home. Also, when I come home I am a normal person, a friend, a brother, a son and now a husband.
How do you adapt to hitting in different positions?
In fact, I was always flexible to hit anywhere in the batting order. But when I got to hitting No. 3 on a consistent basis, it became a little easier for me to understand what’s going on at this position. How are tickets advanced? So it was really good and it made me a better player when I started hitting in that position.
.
She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.