3 people who have played an unsung role in Suryakumar Yadav's career
Suryakumar Yadav has emerged as one of the best T20 players in the history of Indian cricket.
Since his T20I debut in March 2021, Suryakumar has scored 1578 runs in 46 innings at an incredible average of 46 and an outrageous strike rate of 180. Needless to say, he has established his name among the best to have played the format.
Suryakumar hit a six on his first delivery in international cricket against Jofra Archer, which epitomizes his fearless mindset of attacking from the word go. Few batters have been able to combine consistency and aggression the way Surya has.
His talent as a youngster was recognized by the likes of Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma, who led him in his first-class and IPL teams respectively. However, things haven't always come easy for the Mumbai batter.
Yadav has toiled a lot throughout his career. He only earned an international cap at the age of 30, after putting in a string of exceptional performances in the IPL.
In this article, we take a look at the people who have played an understated role in Suryakumar's success.
#1 Parents - Ashok Kumar Yadav & Swapna Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav has often spoken about the role his parents have played in his success. They have supported him in his lows and celebrated his highs.
Suryakumar's father Ashok, an electrical designer at BARC, asked him to choose between cricket and badminton as the sport he wanted to pursue as his career. Ashok then enrolled his son in a camp in the BARC colony.
Suryakumar's mother Swapna, a housewife, is religious like most Indian parents. She frequently prays for her son's success on the international stage.
Suryakumar's parents often say that if he is not afraid while batting, there is no reason for them to be nervous when is on the field. Much like his teammate Virat Kohli, Surya also has a permanent tattoo of his parents on his right arm.
#2 Wife - Devisha Shetty
It is often said that behind every successful man, there is a woman. That is true in the case of Suryakumar Yadav too.
His wife Devisha worked as a volunteer for The Lighthouse Project, an NGO. She is also an extremely talented dancer who began her career as a dance coach in Mumbai.
Surya and Devisha have known each other since their college days, and they got married in July 2016.
Suryakumar has said in the past that his wife has been the biggest pillar of support in his life. He has repeatedly talked about the positive impact she has had on his life and career.
Devisha gave Surya the required emotional support and helped him become a calmer personality. Her presence meant that the swashbuckling batter made changes to his lifestyle around the 2018-19 season.
Early in his career Suryakumar had a few vices, but he decided to commit to a much more disciplined diet to maintain his fitness.
#3 Former teammate - Vinayak Mane
Vinayak Mane was a first-class cricketer who represented Mumbai in 57 matches. He was coached by Ramakant Achrekar, and many expected him to have a successful career. However, Mane could not live up to the expectations as he faced many untimely injuries throughout his career.
He was the captain of the BPCL corporate cricket team when Suryakumar Yadav represented them as an 18-year-old. Mane later became the coach of Parsee Gymkhana and gave Surya some confidence-boosting tips when the latter was sacked by the MCA due to disciplinary and attitude issues in the 2014-15 season.
"Whenever he is available in Mumbai, whenever possible when he is free from his India and MCA commitments, he has always made sure he plays for us and he has trained with the team. Our boys also enjoy it when he is around because he is such a strong character and is very positive," Mane once said.