Suryakumar Yadav is aiming for a comeback in India’s red-ball scheme of things with the ongoing Buchi Babu and upcoming Duleep Trophy tournament. Suryakumar Yadav has been handed a second opportunity to script a return to Test cricket.
Having last played a Test in February 2023 against Australia in Nagpur, which was also his debut appearance for India in the format, Suryakumar Yadav was picked neither for the World Test Champions final last year nor for the West Indies tour. However, 19 months since that Nagpur tie, the newly-appointed India T20I captain could make a comeback to the format with the start of the domestic red-ball season in the country.
Suryakumar Yadav career as a red ball cricketer in domestic tournaments
Having featured in just one Test match so far, Suryakumar Yadav is looking for a second chance to represent the country in the longest format of the game when India take on Bangladesh in a two-match series starting next month. Suryakumar Yadav’s only Test came against Australia in 2023 and 19 months since the Nagpur tie, the star India batter was neither picked for the World Test Championship final nor the West Indies tour last year
With 10 Test matches (2 vs Bangladesh, 3 vs New Zealand, 5 vs Australia) lined up for India in the last few months in 2024, all the probable’s have been asked by the selectors to play in the Duleep Trophy to get some red-ball match practice. Besides the Duleep Trophy, the right-hander Suryakumar Yadav will also play in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament against TNCA XI in Coimbatore starting on Tuesday.
Suryakumar Yadav is aiming to make a comeback to India’s Test side with the ongoing Buchi Babu Tournament. The 33-year-old has set his eyes on returning to India’s Test playing XI and said that red-ball cricket has always been his priority. Notably, Suryakumar Yadav made his debut for India in the Nagpur Test match between India and Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023 in February.
Suryakumar Yadav managed to score only 8 (20) and was ruled out of the entire series due to an injury. After a not-so impressive start to his Test career, the right-handed batter is looking to be back in whites with his stellar performances in the Buchi Babu tournament and the Duleep Trophy.
Currently India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav has a lot of experience in red-ball format while playing for Mumbai in domestic circuit. Things will be tough for the stylish batter as the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan are also playing in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament and Duleep Trophy. All three are eyeing a spot in the Indian middle-order.
Sensational Suryakumar Yadav eyes Test comeback with Buchi Babu Tournament 2024
Team India batter Suryakumar Yadav has established himself as a short format star but has been unable to translate the same form to cement himself a spot in the Test team setup. The right-handed batter will have a string of red-ball matches in the Buchi Babu tournament and the Duleep Trophy to make a strong case ahead of the home season.
Despite featuring in 82 first-class matches since his debut for Mumbai in 2010, Suryakumar Yadav has only been able to muster a solitary Test appearance for the nation to date. Suryakumar Yadav debuted during the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, scoring eight runs in his sole innings before being weighed down by the intense competition for the middle-order slots. Suryakumar Yadav featured in the previous edition of the Duleep Trophy but was not among the runs as West Zone lost the final to South Zone.
“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. I’ve taken part in a lot of First Class matches for more than 10 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,” Suryakumar Yadav said in an interview with Sportstar.
Suryakumar Yadav has expressed his desire to feature across all formats for India. His ascendancy in the T20 format has been a revelation, with a recent promotion to captaincy being a testament to his stature within the Indian team. However, he needs runs under his belt to rise in the pecking order in the remaining formats.
Suryakumar Yadav on playing red-ball cricket for India
The Indian Test middle order is jam-packed with names like KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and Sarfaraz Khan. A prolific run in red-ball cricket could help Suryakumar Yadav be in contention for the limited spots, and give the incumbents a run for their money.
“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 Yadav said in the same interview.
Suryakumar Yadav has been drafted into the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Team C of the 2024 Duleep Trophy.
“Going forward, if I have to play, then I’ll 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 Duleep Trophy and then see what happens,” he added.
Suryakumar Yadav has amassed 5628 runs in red-ball cricket at an average of 43.62, with 14 hundreds to his name.