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"Barely Slept...": Suryakumar Yadav Recalls His Nerves Before MI Debut

Jatin

Suryakumar Yadav is a key part of Mumbai Indians squad [Source: @mipaltan/x.com]Suryakumar Yadav is a key part of Mumbai Indians squad [Source: @mipaltan/x.com]

Suryakumar Yadav is one of Mumbai Indians' biggest match-winners today but rewind to 2012, and you would find a young lad losing sleep before his debut. On a recent episode of "The Suryakumar Yadav Experience" on JioHotstar, SKY went down memory lane and opened up about how it all began in the blue and gold.

SKY Gets Candid About Debut Jitters And Finding His Mojo At MI

Suryakumar Yadav recalled the night before his debut match in IPL 2012, saying he barely slept.

"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," he said.

The next day, he stepped onto the field at Wankhede for his debut against Pune Warriors and was dismissed for a duck. That turned out to be his only appearance for MI that season.

Rise through KKR And Return To Home Base

After his quiet stint with MI, Suryakumar moved to Kolkata Knight Riders in 2013. That move proved to be gold. He grew in confidence and made a name for himself in KKR's middle order, playing a key role in their 2014 title win.

But destiny had a bigger script waiting. In 2018, SKY returned to Mumbai Indians and everything changed. He racked up 512 runs that year and became an irreplaceable piece in MI's puzzle.

"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," he added.

That season was his big break, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The Heartbreak In 2020

But it wasn’t always sunshine. In 2020, despite a strong IPL season, SKY didn’t find his name in the Indian squad for the Australia tour.

"When I didn't see my name in the squad, I didn't talk to anyone for 2-3 days. I didn't practice either. Mahela and Zaheer could see that something was wrong," Surya revealed.

Since then, SKY has transformed his game. Not just consistency, but innovation too.

“Earlier, I was batting at a strike rate of 140–150. But the game changed. So I started practicing different shots to stay ahead of the bowlers and captains. I focused on areas where I could score with less risk."

With over 4,000 runs, two tons, and 27 fifties in the IPL now, he is one of the most feared batters in the league.

He was a key member of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad in 2024 and now leads the national T20 side after Rohit Sharma's retirement.

Meanwhile, as Mumbai Indians prepare to take on Rajasthan Royals in high-octane clash in Jaipur on Thursday, their Mr.360 will once again be at the heart of it all.