Suryakumar Yadav savours mutton curry after unbeaten 60 in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy opener

Suryakumar Yadav sat on the floor at Jadavpur University Campus Ground eating rotis and a serving of mutton curry with Sarfaraz Khan after producing an unbeaten 60 for Mumbai in their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy opener against Hyderabad on Saturday.

Suryakumar’s 60 not out came off 21 deliveries as Mumbai chased Hyderabad’s 172, finishing 174 for three in 13.1 overs to win by seven wickets with 41 balls to spare. He reached his half-century in 15 deliveries and finished with six fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 285.71.

Musheer Khan and Angkrish Raghuvanshi provided early momentum for Mumbai, with Angkrish scoring 27 off 13 balls and Musheer making a 24-ball 51; Hardik Tamore added 22. Musheer and Suryakumar combined for a 65-run partnership that effectively settled the chase.

Hyderabad were restricted to 172 after Maxwell Swaminathan took three wickets for 23; Abhirath Reddy was Hyderabad’s top-scorer with 35. Mumbai’s batting firepower proved decisive in the run-chase.

Suryakumar, a former India T20I captain who was part of the T20 World Cup campaign, said missing out on selection after the tournament had hurt him. "But yes, I was hurt. If you don't feel sad or hurt, how will you turn that into passion, and how will you play with that passion? That is what I am trying to do now," he said after Mumbai's win.

He added that his old hunger to force his way back into the national side has returned and stressed the need to score consistently in domestic cricket. "The same hunger I had earlier to play for India, when I used to score runs after returning to domestic cricket, has come back again. If I want to play for India again, I will have to break the door down once more. All right, let's do it," he said.

Suryakumar has recently been appointed captain of Mumbai and credited Mumbai Cricket Association president Ajinkya Naik for backing him during a difficult period and entrusting him with the leadership. He commented on T20 demands, saying teams cannot afford to ease off after the powerplay and that he wants to maintain an aggressive approach through the middle overs; he also insisted his knock was not intended as a statement to selectors but as an extension of the attacking approach he has followed for the last four or five years.

For now, Suryakumar said his immediate focus is on delivering for Mumbai.