Suryakumar Yadav plays for the Mumbai Indians team. He recently talked about getting better from a hurt ankle. He also said he started reading books for the first time ever during this time off.
Suryakumar Yadav just returned to play his first game of the IPL 2024 season against the Delhi Capitals. Despite being removed for a two-ball duck, MI triumphed by 29 runs to start their season’s points table.
Suryakumar’s last match was in December when India went to South Africa. He got hurt on his ankle. Then he needed surgery and therapy to heal.
In a video posted to the IPL social media account, the MI batter discussed how he had to reinvent himself and become a better version throughout his recuperation.
“That’s why I started focussing on doing all the smaller things like sleeping on time and following a good diet. I’ve never read a book in my life and I started doing that as well. Getting up at the morning and spending good quality time at the rehab center and connecting everything, my body, brain with the rehab and it helped me really well to recover a little faster. Since I had 2-3 niggles at once, I had to take it one step at a time.”
Suryakumar Yadav
He added:
“It was very important for me to decide how I wanted to come back. When I spoke to my wife and all the people at the NCA, they said it has to be a second version of yourself where I am a little different once back on the field.”
Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav, the world’s top T20I hitter, was also MI’s best last season, hitting 605 runs at an average of 43.21 and a strike rate of 181.14. His exploits helped Michigan into the playoffs for the first time since winning the championship in 2020.
“Would watch half the games because I was sleeping on time when I was in Bangalore” – Suryakumar Yadav
When asked if he saw all of the MI games during his absence, Suryakumar Yadav replied that he would watch the first innings and sleep at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
The swashbuckling hitter missed MI’s opening three games, which saw them lose to GT, SRH, and RR.
“Always difficult when your team is playing and you are sitting in the room watching. I can’t say that I didn’t watch, I would watch half the games because I was sleeping on time when I was in Bangalore at about 10.30-10.45.”
Suryakumar Yadav
He talked about waking up the next day to see the full-game highlights, which inspired him to come out on the field and aid his teammates.
“So I used to watch only half the innings but would watch the entire game in the highlights the next day. It was difficult but it gave me a lot of motivation and inspiration looking at them that they are playing there and I’ve to work really hard, work on myself and my recovery and get out there as soon as possible.”
Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav will return to action when MI face RCB at the Wankhede Stadium on April 11.