Suryakumar Yadav hurt by India snub but says he is rediscovering love for cricket

Suryakumar Yadav said on November 10, 2026 at a T20 Mumbai League Celebrating the Champions event that being dropped from India after captaining the side to a successful T20 World Cup title defence had been painful, but he is rediscovering his love and passion for the game. His remarks were reported by PTI.

Suryakumar acknowledged that the period after India’s World Cup triumph was difficult, noting a prolonged lean patch with the bat ultimately cost him his place in the national setup a few months later. The BCCI decided to move on from the former skipper ahead of the England tour, with Shreyas Iyer taking over leadership responsibilities. The fall from leading a World Cup-winning side to watching from the sidelines affected him personally.

Addressing the media at the event, Suryakumar was candid about that struggle: "Post the T20 World Cup win it has been a little difficult. I don't want to run away from that fact. If you are not honest with yourself, it is very difficult to lead a happy life," he said. The admission underscored how he has had to confront the emotional consequences of the India snub.

Suryakumar said life away from international cricket brought a new source of happiness when he became a father earlier this year; he added that "during the IPL, I was blessed with a baby girl in May. The focus shifted completely towards her. The last few months, since she was born, have been very beautiful," he said. That shift in focus provided personal consolation during a challenging professional spell.

With time, the Mumbai batter began to refocus on cricket rather than dwell on the setback, saying the initial two months were the hardest before he decided to revert to earlier habits and motivations. "The first two months, though, were very difficult. But then I thought, why not go back to thinking about how I was before? "How I started my cricket all I used to think about was playing age-group cricket for Mumbai and eventually representing Mumbai in First-Class cricket," he said. He also has 113 T20I appearances to his name and said he hopes there is still more to come in India colours.

Suryakumar credited a conversation with his wife, Devisha Shetty, as a turning point that encouraged him to reclaim the mindset of a 15-year-old aspirant. "I sat down and thought about all these things and started chatting with my wife. She said the same thing - I needed to bring back the love and passion for the game that I had when I was a 15-year-old kid, who wanted to represent Mumbai in Under-15 cricket," Suryakumar said. He described returning to the basics—training and enjoying the game—and added: "So, that's what I started thinking about, and I am now following the same things I did 10-15 years ago. I am training again, following the same passion and the same love for the game. Everything is back to normal now. When you start thinking about it and focus on playing this sport, you want to do well for your team and your family. Things change completely, and that's what I am doing right now. The main goal is what I used to think about before, win games for Mumbai and win the championship for Mumbai," he added.

Suryakumar is set to lead Mumbai in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, a domestic T20 competition the article described as offering him a platform to make a statement. The piece noted that a strong campaign could put him back in the selectors' conversations, while his immediate focus remains on playing for Mumbai and finding joy in the sport.