'Red-ball cricket has always been my priority,' Suryakumar Yadav eyes India test comeback

Suryakumar Yadav has played only one test match for the Indian cricket team till now.

Indian stalwart Suryakumar Yadav was named the new T20I captain after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from T20I cricket after lifting the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 trophy in June.

In his debut series as the full-time T20I skipper, Suryakumar led India to a 3-0 win over Sri Lanka.

Since making his international debut for the Indian cricket team, Suryakumar Yadav has been one of the consistent batsmen in the shortest format. He was tried in the ODI and test team as well, but the right-handed batter couldn’t replicate his T20I success in the two longer formats.

In 37 ODIs, Yadav has made 773 runs at a below-par average of 25. In his only test appearance, he scored eight runs. He made his test debut against Australia in 2023.

I’m obviously excited for some red-ball fun: Suryakumar Yadav

The 33-year-old Suryakumar Yadav initially was not included in the Mumbai squad for the Buchi Babu tournament, but later on, he informed Mumbai selectors of his availability for the second half of the competition.

After Mumbai’s training session in Coimbatore, Suryakumar said he wants to have some “red-ball fun” in the hope of making a comeback to the Indian team setup.

“There are a lot of people who have worked really hard to earn their place and even I want to earn that spot again. I made my debut for India in Tests. After that, I got injured as well. There were a lot of people who got an opportunity and have done well too. They deserve that opportunity right now,” Suryakumar said on the sidelines of the Buchi Babu Invitational tournament.

“Going forward, if I have to play, then I will automatically play. That’s not in my control. What’s in my power right now is to play the Buchi Babu tournament, go on to play the Duleep Trophy and then see what happens. But yes, I’m really looking forward. There are ten Test matches lined up and I’m obviously excited for some red-ball fun,” he added.

Red-ball cricket has always been my priority: Suryakumar Yadav

The Indian stalwart hasn’t played any First-Class (FC) match since last year’s Duleep Trophy, but he is ready to rekindle his love for red-ball cricket.

“Red-ball cricket has always been my priority. When I grew up in the maidans of Mumbai and played a lot of local cricket, I started playing with the red cherry. The love for the longest format began there, and has always been there,” Suryakumar said.

The 33-year-old said that he is looking forward to representing Mumbai in the upcoming red-ball domestic season.

“I have taken part in a lot of first-class matches for more than ten years now and I still cherish playing this format. There’s no question about it and that’s why I’m here before the Duleep Trophy. I will always look for an opportunity to come and play for Mumbai, be it in first-class cricket or a tournament like the Buchi Babu. A lot of international players have played in this competition before and have gone on to represent the country,” he asserted

Suryakumar has an impressive red-ball record: 5628 runs in 82 First-Class matches at an average of 43.62. He has made 14 centuries and 29 fifties till now.

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