This T20 World Cup-Winning Captain Got Rs 15000 As First Salary For Entire Season: "I Spent It All"
India have won three T20 World Cups - 2007 (under MS Dhoni), 2024 (under Rohit Sharma) and 2026 (under Suryakumar Yadav)
- Suryakumar Yadav earned 15,000 rupees in his first U-15 Mumbai cricket tour
- He spent early earnings on cricket equipment due to lack of bat sponsorship
- Yadav was dropped from India's T20 team months after winning the World Cup
Suryakumar Yadav is in an interesting phase of his career. The T20 World Cup-winning captain has lost his spot in the national side but says he is putting in all the hard work and hoping for things to fall into place in the future. His performance in the IPL for Mumbai Indians has also not been good. Meanwhile, Yadav sat down for a chat with former India star Aakash Chopra for an interview, where he was asked about his first earnings.
"I think it was 15,000 when I played U-15 for Mumbai for the first time. It was for the entire tour. I must have spent it. At that time, I did not have any bat sponsor, so I used to spend all my earnings on buying cricket equipment," he said.
A few months after leading India to their third T20 World Cup victory, which was also their second consecutive title win, the 35-year-old Suryakumar was discarded from the team, considering his form and the two-year cycle leading up to the next global event.
Suryakumar's persistent struggles with the bat also seemed to have played a role in the selectors' decision, with the former world No. 1 batter unable to maintain consistency while enduring a tough campaign in this year's IPL as well.
"Look, I'm putting in all the hard work and doing everything I can. If things go well, then everything will fall into place," Suryakumar, the brand ambassador of the Pro Govinda League, replied when asked about his plans for a comeback to the national team.
Suryakumar, who remains a vital cog in Mumbai Indians' batting line-up, made his last appearances for India in the Test and ODI formats in 2023.
Meanwhile, a report by news agency ANI claimed, quoting sources, that Suryakumar Yadav can still make a comeback to the Indian side provided he scores runs consistently in domestic cricket.
As per a BCCI source, the apex cricket body has not ruled out a comeback for Suryakumar, and he remains in contention for selection if he consistently performs in domestic cricket, despite not being in the current plans.
"Doors for Suryakumar Yadav are still open. He is not currently in the scheme of things, but he remains eligible to come back if he scores runs in domestic cricket consistently," said a BCCI source.
Rohit Sharma
MS Dhoni
India Cricket Team