Red-ball lifeline for Suryakumar Yadav: It’s clear- perform as no mercy in offing

Team India management and selectors have recently indicated that they were looking at Mr 360 degree batsman Suryakumar Yadav as a possible option in red-ball cricket.

Since making his debut against Australia at Nagpur in 2023, SKY (as Suryakumar Yadav is popularly known among the fans) hasn’t been part of the Test set-up. But the new head coach Gautam Gambhir has kept the door open for Surya’s return to the Test fold.

Following the development, SKY asked the Mumbai Cricket Association to include him in the squad for the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament in Tamil Nadu.

Now, SKY has found a place in the Duleep Trophy for Team C under Ruturaj Gaikwad. The explosive batter seems to be firmly in the picture for the home Test summer featuring Bangladesh and New Zealand.

Notably, the Duleep Trophy marks the official start of the Indian domestic season in the first week of September. Moreover, the Buchi Babu tournament will be played at four venues in Tamil Nadu – Coimbatore, Salem, Dindigul and Tirunelveli. 

It seems, over the next three weeks, an audition for middle-order slots in the Test side will take place in Coimbatore. Along with SKY, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan will be in the reckoning for the middle order slots. All these star batters must be aware of the fact that only runs matter for their inclusion in the Indian team under the current scenario.

Surya knows that he has a lot of groundwork to do. It has been 13 months since Surya featured in a multi-day fixture.

“There are a lot of players who have worked hard to earn their place in the Test squad. Even I want to earn a place in that Test squad. After I made my debut for India in Tests, I got injured. A lot of players who got opportunities have done well. Those are the players who deserve the opportunity right now. Going forward, if I have to play, that is not in my control. What is in my control right now is to play this tournament (Buchi Babu), go on to play the Duleep Trophy and then we will see what happens,” said Surya.