"Red-ball cricket has always been my priority" - Suryakumar Yadav

Veteran Team India batter Suryakumar Yadav has established himself as a T20 format star but he has failed to do the same to cement himself a spot in the Test team setup. The right-handed batter will have a string of red-ball matches in the Buchi Babu tournament and the Duleep Trophy to make a strong case before the home season as well.

Despite playing 82 first-class matches since his debut for Mumbai in 2010, Suryakumar Yadav has only been able to play a solitary Test
appearance for the nation to date. He made his debut during the 2023 Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, scoring eight runs in his sole innings. He featured in the last edition of the Duleep Trophy but was not among the runs as West Zone lost the final to South Zone.

"Red-ball cricket has always been my priority. When I grew up in the maidans of Mumbai and played a lot of local cricket, I started playing with the red cherry. The love for the longest format began there, and has always been there. I’ve taken part in a lot of First Class matches for more than 10 years now and I still cherish playing this format. There’s no question about it and that’s why I’m here before the Duleep Trophy," Suryakumar Yadav said in an interview with Sportstar.

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"Going forward, if I have to play, then I’ll automatically play" - Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav has expressed to play across all formats for India. However, he needs runs in the remaining formats to be in the Indian Team constantly. However, a prolific run in red-ball cricket could help him be in contention for the limited spots as well.

"There are a lot of people who have worked really hard to earn their place and even I want to earn that spot again. I made my debut for India in Tests. After that, I got injured as well. There were a lot of people who got an opportunity and have done well too. They deserve that opportunity right now," Suryakumar Yadav said in the same interview.

"Going forward, if I have to play, then I’ll automatically play. That’s not in my control. What’s in my power right now is to play the Buchi Babu tournament, go on to play Duleep Trophy and then see what happens," he concluded.