A legacy amid fading returns: Suryakumar’s search for fluency as he would want to hit a purple patch fast ahead of his 100th T20i.
Suryakumar Yadav, a pioneer in search of his legacy amid a run of poor form.
Suryakumar Yadav will become the 53rd man to play 100 T20 internationals when he captains India in Nagpur; 44 of them have done it for Full Member countries. Not one of them is Mark Chapman, who has played 19 games for Hong Kong and 81 for New Zealand. Suryakumar will be the only player out of the 44 who has not participated in 40 ODIs or 10 Test matches. He is the longest-lasting T20I expert from a Full Member country.
It’s intriguing that Suryakumar is the first to reach this little milestone in the quickly changing world of professional cricket. The first person to play at such a volume never intended to be one of the many T20 specialists, a number that will only increase. He continues to play first-class and List A cricket for Mumbai whenever he has the opportunity. Being a T20 specialist wasn’t even a dream when he first started, let alone a feasible career choice. He is now 35 years old.
India has only played 23 ODIs and up to 54 T20Is since the 2023 ODI World Cup final, which was also the final of Suryakumar’s 37 ODIs. Suryakumar is India’s fourth-most-capped player during this time, despite only participating in one format.
The awareness that transitioning from ODIs to T20s is not nearly the same as shifting from Tests to ODIs may be the driving force for this increase in T20 specialists. T20 is more akin to a distinct sport than merely a variation of it. Youngsters are now preparing for a game that Suryakumar found to be effective in this style.
But there isn’t a distinct fan base for this sport termed T20. For those who only play T20, it creates special difficulties. For Indian players, the situation is made worse by the fact that they are limited to playing in the IPL. Suryakumar, who was once compared to AB de Villiers, is now without a single international fifty in a year. The only competitive setting he can find a way back into is elite cricket, and teams are bowling more effectively against him.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were eager to win an ICC championship when they entered the 2024 T20 World Cup, but their cricket careers were assured. The World Cup, which begins in three weeks, could be crucial for Suryakumar.
Yes, he was a member of the winning team the previous year, and yes, he made a memorable catch in the final over, but considering his recent difficulties, it feels like a faraway memory.
Suryakumar will experience some desperation in the next two months. He has claimed to be aware of the issue and to have been addressing it. He can’t sit out because he is the captain. In the brightness, he must make his way back in.
Suryakumar’s attendance at the 2028 T20 World Cup is improbable. He would finish his career with IPL titles but no immediately remembered major trophy in T20I cricket if he loses this match as captain. For a pioneer of sorts, the next two months may define a legacy.