Suryakumar Yadav, India's T20I captain, remains determined to make his mark in Test cricket despite a significant gap since his solitary appearance in the format. Although initially not part of Mumbai's youthful squad for the Buchi Babu Invitational tournament in Tamil Nadu, Suryakumar has expressed his availability for the latter phase of the tournament, seeking to join under Sarfaraz Khan's captaincy.
This decision aligns with his ambition to represent India across all three formats, with the upcoming red-ball competitions in mind for enhancing his skills.After guiding India to a convincing 3-0 series victory against Sri Lanka in his inaugural T20I captaincy stint, Suryakumar's exclusion from the ODI squad raised eyebrows. The selection committee clarified that he was not in contention for the ODI matches, focusing on his potential return to Test cricket instead.
With a gap in India's T20I schedule until the series versus Bangladesh in October, Suryakumar sees the Buchi Babu tournament as a valuable opportunity to prepare for the longer format.Looking ahead, the Buchi Babu event will be succeeded by the prestigious Duleep Trophy in Anantapur, featuring four teams handpicked by the national selectors. Suryakumar's last first-class appearance occurred during the previous season's Duleep Trophy, underlining his rich experience with 82 matches, amassing 5628 runs at an impressive average of 43.62, showcasing his consistency with 29 half-centuries and 14 centuries to his credit.