'It's been tough': Suryakumar Yadav on post-T20 World Cup journey
What's the story
Suryakumar Yadav, the former captain of Team India, has opened up on his struggles since leading the nation to the ICC T20 World Cup win in March. He admitted that it has been tough for him but is now focused on getting back to his old self. "Post the T20 World Cup win, it has been a little difficult. I don't want to run away from that fact," he said at a recent event in Mumbai.
Transition
Shift in focus and personal life
After India's T20 World Cup defense, Suryakumar was dropped from the national team following a disappointing Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
However, he said that he has now gotten back on his feet and is rediscovering his passion for cricket.
"During the IPL, I was blessed with a baby girl in May. So, the focus shifted completely toward her," he shared about his personal life during this tough phase.
Rediscovery
Rediscovering the love for cricket
Suryakumar also talked about how he has been trying to rediscover the love and passion for cricket that he had as a kid.
"I thought, why not go back to thinking about how I was before? How I started my cricket journey," he said.
He also revealed that his wife, Devisha, has been a big motivation in this process of rediscovery.
Guidance
Advice to young cricketers
At the event organized by the Mumbai Cricket Association, Suryakumar advised young cricketers to aim for representing Mumbai at different levels, rather than focusing solely on playing in the IPL.
"If you ask any kid playing in the maidans of Bombay cricket right now, they will not say, 'I want to play in the IPL.' They will first say, 'I want to play for Mumbai,'" he said.
Journey
Journey as India's captain
As reported earlier, Suryakumar will lead Mumbai in the impending Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).
Suryakumar's appointment was backed by his stellar international leadership record.
Besides leading India to the T20 World Cup title, he also won the Asia Cup last year. Under him, India won 40 of the 52 T20Is, losing eight (Tied: 2 and NR: 2).
Suryakumar is India's third-highest run-scorer (3,272) in T20Is with a strike rate of 162.94.