&w=3840&q=100)
‘Can't wait to be back': Suryakumar Yadav shares fitness update ahead of Asia Cup
India's captain Suryakumar Yadav celebrates after beating Bangladesh in the third T20I against England in Hyderabad. Image: AP
India's T20I captain is looking good for a comeback ahead of the 2025 Asia Cup as he resumed batting practice in the nets. SKY is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru following a surgery for sports hernia.
On Friday, Suryakumar Yadav shared a video on Instagram showing himself batting in the nets, doing exercises, and running. 'Can't wait to be back doing what I love,' he wrote in the caption of the post. It is understood that he had already started batting practice late last week after arriving at CoE (formerly NCA).
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Suryakumar had a brilliant IPL 2025, finishing as the Most Valuable Player after scoring 717 runs for the Mumbai Indians, who reached Qualifier 2. He was the tournament's second-highest run-scorer after Gujarat Titans' Sai Sudharsan, who scored 759 runs. SKY also became the second MI player after the legendary Sachin Tendulkar to score more than 600 runs in a season.
SKY took over as India's T20I captain after his MI teammate Rohit Sharma stepped down following the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. He has captained India in 22 matches and has won 17. In 83 T20Is, SKY has scored 2,598 runs at an average of 38.2 and a strike rate of 167.07.
Meanwhile, the , which will be played in the T20 format, will be held in the UAE from September 9 to September 28. This will be India's first major T20I assignment after winning the T20 World Cup last year. Suryakumar is expected to lead the team if he recovers on time.
It is being said that the BCCI will announce the squad for the Asia Cup in the third week of August. India's first match is scheduled against the home side, UAE, on September 10, followed by the blockbuster game against Pakistan on September 14. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has said that two more showdowns may potentially take place between the arch-rivals if they reach the Super 4 stage.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
24 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Mohammed Siraj's gold-standard performance in England grabs Wasim Akram's attention: ‘He is leading the Indian attack'
Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram feels Mohammed Siraj is no longer the support bowler to Jasprit Bumrah, and the 31-year-old is now fully capable of leading the Indian pace attack in the longest format of the game. In the absence of Bumrah, Siraj led the attack, taking nine wickets in the Oval Test against England, helping Shubman Gill's India level the five-match series. Heading into the final day, India needed four wickets with England just 35 runs away from the target. However, Siraj scalped three of the remaining four, helping the visitors register a memorable six-run win. Wasim Akram feels Mohammed Siraj is no longer the support bowler (PTI) Siraj had miscalculated Harry Brook's catch a day prior, resulting in the right-hander playing a knock of 111 and taking the game away from India. Off the bowling of Prasidh Krishna, Brook skied one in the air, only to find the ball lob straight into Siraj's hands in the deep. However, the pacer miscalculated as he stepped onto the boundary rope. Akram lauded Siraj's ability to bounce back from this misstep, saying it was impeccable how the pacer stood up when India needed it the most. Siraj played all five Tests against England, bowling more than 185 overs. 'Siraj was full of hunger and passion – it was an incredible effort. To bowl nearly 186 overs across five Tests and still be that fiery on the final day shows remarkable stamina and mental strength. He's not just a support bowler anymore,' Akram said in an interview with Telecom Asia Sport. Also Read: Virat Kohli's last Test jersey finds a special place at Mohammed Siraj's home 'He's leading the attack and doing it with heart. Even when a catch went down– that of Brook – he didn't lose focus. That's the mark of a fighter. Test cricket is alive and kicking,' he added. 'Glued to the last day' Wasim Akram said he was glued to the television screen for the final day of the Oval Test. This is a clear testament to how both India and England put on quite a show in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. 'I rarely watch cricket when I'm not working, but I was glued to the last day,' said Akram. "I gave India a 60 per cent chance on Day 5. They just needed that first breakthrough. With Woakes injured and India sensing blood, it was game on. Siraj made that possible," said Akram. The former Pakistan captain also lauded India for taking a brave call in resting Jasprit Bumrah for the series decider. 'It takes a brave team to rest their best bowler. But India had the bench strength, and the plan worked perfectly,' he said. 'With the Asia Cup in 2025 and the T20 World Cup in 2026 coming up, this kind of foresight is essential. Bumrah is vital across formats, and managing him well is key," he added.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
‘I wouldn't be here without his input': Joe Root talks about heartwarming bond with grandfather
Joe Root might be only 2,378 runs away from breaking the great Sachin Tendulkar's record but according to the cricketer, he wouldn't be half as good as he is now if it wasn't for his grandfather's inputs. Taking part in a show where he scrolls through his phone and stops at a specific photo, Root had a warm smile on his face. As the anchor asked about it, Root held up the phone to reveal a photo where the player stood with the 2019 ODI World Cup with his grandfather. 'This is a long way back. This is when we won the World Cup in 2019, with my grand dad actually. It's a lovely photo. He took me to everything as a kid, growing up. Mum and Dad would be working so all my junior matches, he would be the one that ferried me here, there and everywhere. He loves his cricket. He's a lifelong cricket fan. He went and watch Don Bradman play cricket way back in the day. So to be able to experience a moment like that with him at the home of cricket was very special. Just brings back all those childhood memories, all those journeys up and down the country. So I am very grateful for everything that he did for my game. I wouldn't be here without his input,' Root said. In the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar series, Root closed the gap between him and the legendary Tendulkar on the Test batting charts as he finished the series with 534 runs in five Tests. From taking a young Joe Root to all his junior games, to standing on the outfield at Lord's with him after winning the World Cup. Joe Root has a special relationship with his cricket-loving grandad. 💛 — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 8, 2025 Root surpassed the likes of Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting in terms of Test runs across the last two Tests while his 39th century propelled him to the fourth spot. The series ultimately ended 2-2 with England winning the 1st and 3rd Test at Leeds and Lord's while India drew level with the 2nd and 5th Tests at Edgbaston and the Oval respectively. The 4th Test at Manchester was a draw.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
I Have Done A Mistake Where...: Rashid Khan Breaks Silence, Reveals What Went Wrong For Him After Back Surgery
Star Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who had a horror outing for Gujarat Titans during IPL 2025, has opened up on his struggles and mistakes after the back surgery. Notably, Rashid was far from his best during the IPL 2025 as he picked only 9 wickets in 15 matches with a poor average of 57.11 and economy rate of 9.34 as batter dominated him. He conceded 33 sixes, which is most by a bowler in a single IPL season. The 26-year-old Rashid admitted that he made a mistake by rushing back to cricketing action after his back surgery, which happened shortly after the 2023 ODI World Cup. Post-surgery, Rashid's speed, which is key to his lethal bowling, depleted considerably, in addition to a loss of accuracy. After having a difficult IPL 2025 campaign, Rashid took a break off two months and has returned rejuvenated, producing a match-winning 3 for 11 in Oval Invincibles' win over London Spirit in their first game of The Hundred 2025 at Lord's. "After IPL, I needed the kind of break where my body gets back to normal. I worked a little bit on my strength. And especially coming back from back surgery, I hadn't had much time to rehab properly. That's where I did a bit of mistake to restart my cricket so quickly at that time. And I feel like I didn't let myself properly recover, and I pushed it a little bit at that time, and I can see the disadvantage of that now. But after IPL [2025], I felt like I needed that kind of two months off where I can just focus on my fitness," Rashid told ESPNCricinfo in an interview. "And when I came yesterday [on Tuesday], I felt so good, in a good rhythm, and the ball was coming nicely out of my hand, and [my] body was allowing me to go through. So these things matter a lot - sometimes you don't think about that a lot; you just try your best to push yourself. But I feel to be out of the game for some time and focus on my fitness - and also [focus] mentally and physically - that really played a huge role," he added. Barely a few months after the back surgery, Rashid started playing cricket despite warnings from medical experts. He started with the series against Ireland in March 2024, followed by the IPL and the T20 World Cup, where he led Afghanistan into the semi-finals. Thereafter, back and hamstring niggles forced him to miss the BBL and PSL. He returned in January 2025 for the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo and picked 11 wickets in 55 overs to be named Player of the Match. But the physical toll of that effort was apparent in his ordinary campaigns in Champions Trophy and IPL 2025. "When I came back to cricket after surgery, I was told not to rush back in the longer formats (Tests and ODIs) that quickly as that was not going to help me. About eight to nine months after I had started to play post surgery, I bowled 65 (55) overs in the Bulawayo Test. That really pushed my back a little bit, and I felt it at that time. I shouldn't have been in whites (to play Tests)," Rashid said. "In T20s, it's fine - you can manage yourself - but for the longer formats, I was advised that you should be away from that format for some time. That is the kind of mistake I have made. But the team needed that. At that time, we had lost a few games in Test cricket, but that's something where I rushed myself a little bit, and I didn't give myself time and I felt it later on. Yes, I think I have done a mistake where my body was not allowing me that and I'm facing a problem. The thing is the stiffness in your back doesn't allow you to go with full rhythm," he added. Following the conclusion of IPL 2025, Rashid withdrew from the MLC in the USA, where he was to turn out for MI New York, to focus on recovery, and doing strength training for his lower back in the gym. He also did spot bowling two or three times a week, with some batting practice. Off the field, the leg spinner, who got married in October last year, spent time relaxing with his family. "After IPL finished, for three weeks, I didn't touch the ball. I spent most of my time with my family, (and) my nephews - going around with them, (and) had fun - just to take all those memories and stuff and bad days out of my mind, and then restart with the cricket. That's what I did just to be refreshed, and then got back on track and got back bowling in the right spot," he said.
