Suryakumar Yadav - From Playing On Streets Of Mumbai To Making A Debut For India

Suryakumar Yadav is one of the most loved domestic cricketers currently, who has, in this year, boosted his career one step forward after making his T20I debut for India in the recently concluded series against England. 

The Street Cricketer 

Suryakumar Ashok Yadav was born on September 14, 1990, in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Suryakumar, like any other child living in the city of dreams - Mumbai, wanted to do something big in his life. He used to play cricket on the streets of Mumbai which gave hint to his father about his interest in the sport. He was soon admitted to a cricket academy in Chembur after which Suryakumar never looked back. 

Early Days In Cricket 

Suryakumar started his cricket career by playing for Mumbai in the Ranji tournament in 2010. He took the field in 2010 to play his first Ranji match against Delhi, in which the Suryakumar made a brilliant 73. He was the only player to score a half-century for Mumbai in that first innings. 

In the Ranji season 2011-12, Suryakumar Yadav scored 754 runs in just 9 matches at an average of 68.54. Now, Suryakumar Yadav is one of the biggest names in Mumbai due to his consistent performances in domestic cricket. 

The IPL Boost 

Suryakumar Yadav got his first chance in the world's largest T20 league, Indian Premier League(IPL), in 2012. He got picked for Mumbai Indians(MI) but only played one game. 

In 2014, Suryakumar Yadav joined Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) however, his wait for IPL success only came in 2015. While playing for KKR against MI, he took the game away from his opposition by scoring 46 off 20 balls. 

With his explosive batting and brilliant strike rate, the player also secured the status of vice-captain in the team. Suryakumar Yadav became the most expensive uncapped player in the IPL 2018 auction. He got picked by Mumbai Indians for a whopping 3.2 crore. 

In the IPL 2020, he scored 480 runs in 16 matches. Suryakumar Yadav's highest score this season was 79 runs and an average of around 40. His performances made him a strong candidate for selection in the Indian team but he had to wait a bit more. 

Suryakumar Yadav's IPL Career in Numbers

In IPL, Suryukmar Yadav has played a total of 108 matches, scoring 2197 runs in 93 innings. His highest score in IPL is 79. He has hit a total of 243 fours and 63 sixes so far. 

The Dream Finally Comes True 

Suryakumar Yadav was added to India's T20 squad against England. He finally made his debut on March 14, 2021. However, he did not get a chance to bat in the first match, but when he got the opportunity to bat in the rest of the games in which he made a total of 89 runs.