Suryakumar Yadav opened up on his selection to the Indian T20I squad, saying he’s looking forward to playing under Virat Kohli.
Suryakumar Yadav Opens on his T20I Debut
“I was very excited as I got to know (about the selection). I was sitting in the room, trying to watch a movie, and got a notification on the phone that I was picked in the Indian team for England T20Is. I started crying after seeing my name in the team. I called my parents, my wife and my sister. We had a video call and all of us started crying,” he told BCCI.tv.
“Along with me, they have also been trying to live this dream for a long time. It has been a very long journey and they are the ones who have stood by me throughout. It was really great to see them happy and have those tears of happiness.
“Everyone wants to play for India. But finally, my time has come.”
The Mumbai and Mumbai Indians batsman said he has always dreamt of playing under Kohli.
“Firstly, (I am) looking forward to spending some quality time with the team and soaking in the atmosphere when I reach Ahmedabad. I have always dreamt of playing under Virat Kohli for a long time and I am excited to go and learn a lot from Virat as quickly as I can so that I can be a better player,” he said.
“I have played against him in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the way he reflects his energy on the field even after achieving so much for India is remarkable. I have seen him on the field keeping himself charged all the time. His want-to-win attitude is something to learn.
“Over the years, playing with the Mumbai Indians, I have got to learn and know so much about Virat from Hardik Pandya as well. Whenever we have been together, I have asked Hardik what Virat does differently during the practice sessions that he is the best on the ground.
“Hardik has also told me that Virat practices differently, the energy he has in the practice sessions be it batting or fielding is completely different and he is the same on the ground.
“So, these are some of the things that I want to learn from him which make him the best,” Yadav added.
Suryakumar also thanked his captain at Mumbai Rohit Sharma for being a big influence.
“I still remember the time when I was batting with Rohit Sharma during my Ranji Trophy debut. When I walked out to bat, there were a lot of butterflies in my stomach. He just came up to me and said, “Mate, just keep things very simple. You have worked very hard to reach here. You just have to go out and express yourself. Think about nothing. Just express yourself.”
