Suryakumar Yadav

How it started.

Suryakumar grew into cricket through Mumbai’s street games before his father enrolled him in formal training. His coaches noticed him when he was eight or nine. He made his Ranji Trophy debut for Mumbai in 2010 and scored 73, beginning the domestic career that would eventually take him to India’s team.

Finding his place.

He first joined Mumbai Indians in 2011, later played for Kolkata Knight Riders, and returned to Mumbai Indians in 2018. That return brought a chance to open the batting. He made 512 runs that season, showing what he could do with a bigger role.

The India breakthrough.

His India call-up arrived in 2021 after a long wait. In his first international innings, against England, he hit Jofra Archer for six from the first ball he faced and went on to score 57. By November 2022, he had reached No. 1 in the ICC men’s T20I batting rankings.

The shots and the catch.

His ability to score around the ground became a hallmark of his T20 batting. He won the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year award for both 2022 and 2023. In the 2024 T20 World Cup final, his boundary catch to dismiss David Miller became another defining moment of India’s win.