I STARTED PRACTISING SHOTS THAT WOULD KEEP ME AHEAD OF BOWLERS AND CAPTAINS: SURYAKUMAR ON THE CHANGE IN HIS SYTLE OF PLAY*

*Speaking on JioHotstar’s special show, The Suryakumar Yadav Experience, Mumbai Indians’ star recalled the excitement and nerves ahead of his debut match for the franchise:* “I barely slept the night before my debut for Mumbai Indians — went to bed around 4 or 5 in the morning. There was so much excitement. Playing for a franchise brings a different kind of buzz. I was just enjoying the moment, thinking about stepping onto the field for warm-up and as soon as I did, I was already sweating. It felt really good.”

Click here to watch the full episode – https://www.hotstar.com/in/sports/cricket/the-suryakumar-yadav-experience/1271411777/watch

*Suryakumar shared his experience of the TATA IPL 2019 final match against CSK:*
“I didn’t get too close because I knew both Rohit and Malinga were experienced players, and they didn’t need any third-party advice. I was just standing at a distance, observing their reactions. I was taking note, thinking, ‘If I’m ever in this situation tomorrow, I need to stay as calm as they are.’ Rohit spoke to Malinga, and Malinga calmly said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll do it,’ and then he just backed himself. The way he approached that moment showed his experience — he knew exactly what ball to bowl. He’s been in that situation before and handled it perfectly.”

*Suryakumar also opened up about staying patient during tough phases and how his domestic cricket journey shaped his mindset:*
“You keep working hard and wait for your chance, but it’s natural to wonder — when will it come? When it finally does, if you put too much pressure on yourself, it doesn’t help. I’ve learned to just enjoy the game, stay true to myself, and go back to work if things don’t click. That mindset came from years of playing domestic cricket.”

*Suryakumar also reflected on his breakthrough season in TATA IPL 2018:*
“In 2018, I didn’t expect to open. I didn’t in the first two games, but then the team management came to me and said they wanted me to take on that responsibility. I was keen, so I embraced it. From there, it was up to me to make the most of the opportunity. I didn’t overthink it. Having played all my cricket in Mumbai, I was familiar with the conditions at Wankhede and the pitches. I just kept playing and practicing. I didn’t expect to have a season with 500 runs as my previous seasons never went beyond 200, but this felt different.”

Suryakumar opened up about the emotional impact he suffered, when he was not selected for the Australian tour in 2020:
“It was an emotional knock because just a few days before, the team for the Australia tour was announced. I had been building up for this over the past few years — my domestic season and IPL were going really well. I had prepared myself well for this season, even taking time during the COVID break to work on my body and mental health. So, I expected to be in the T20 squad. Everyone around me, including teammates from other countries, thought I’d be flying to Australia. But when I wasn’t selected, it hit me hard. I couldn’t understand what went wrong. For the next 2-3 days, I didn’t speak to anyone. I took a break and didn’t even practice. I knew my mind wasn’t in the right place, so I decided to relax instead. When I returned to the ground, people noticed I was off, and Mahela and Zaheer could see it too.”

*Suryakumar reflected on his century in TATA IPL 2024 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, sharing how evolving T20 demands pushed him to adapt his game post-2020:*
“The T20 format has changed a lot in the past few years—scoring rates, strike rates, everything. Earlier, I used to bat at a strike rate of 140–150, but post-2020, I realised that to be the best, I needed to evolve. I went back to the drawing board, worked on match simulations, and started practicing shots that would help me stay ahead of bowlers and captains. From 2021 to 2024, I focused on exploiting specific areas, finding scoring options where I could also minimize risk. Everything I do in matches now, I’ve already practiced—I try to replicate those sessions exactly. Scoring a T20 century felt really special because it came from all that effort and clarity.”

*Catch Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians at 7:30 PM today, as teams race to the TATA IPL play-offs, live and exclusive on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network*