Suryakumar Yadav To Miss Afghanistan T20Is With Ankle Tear

Kashish Chadha

image-lqhl90e0Suryakumar Yadav hurt his ankle during South Africa T20Is (AP Photos)

An untimely Grade-2 tear in his ankle has ruled Suryakumar Yadav out of playing action for seven weeks as the extravagant middle-order batter is about to miss the next set of T20Is scheduled in January versus Afghanistan. 

According to a report in the Indian Express, the Mumbaikar has been ruled out until February after picking up an injury at the fag end of the T20I series played in South Africa earlier in the month. 


Suryakumar twisted his ankle while fielding in the third and final T20I of the series played in Johannesburg on December 12 and hasn't recovered since. The player will be giving what was set to be his next assignment as player and stand-in T20I skipper a miss and comeback after rehab only in February. 

Suryakumar Yadav Ruled Out Of Afghanistan T20Is 

The report is contrary to an update provided by the cricketer, who had insisted he was fine after the third T20I. "I am good. I am walking, so good," he had said after the game, even as the injury triggered excruciating pain and the player had to walk off the field for immediate medical attention. 

"He will take some time to recover. He will have to report to the National Cricket Academy later to do his rehabilitation. He is surely going to miss the Afghanistan series," a source within the BCCI told Indian Express, declaring the seriousness of the injury. 

Dropped from the Tests after a brief appearance during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in February and seemingly also the ODIs upon the conclusion of the ICC World Cup 2023 in November, Suryakumar is being treated as a T20I specialist by the selectors and the team management and is critical to the team's chances for the T20 World Cup next June. 

In the immediate equation, however, it will be interesting to see who the selectors appoint as his replacement for the Afghanistan T20Is. After leading the side against Australia and South Africa, Suryakumar appeared likely to continue captaining in an interim capacity for the three-match series starting January 11. 

However, with him ruled out after injury and premier allrounder Hardik Pandya also unlikely as he still recuperates from an ankle issue, it remains to be seen who the selectors appoint as the stand-in skipper this time.