"I am calling you only; look at your initials!" - Suryakumar Yadav revealed how he was named 'SKY' by Gautam Gambhir
Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav is arguably in the form of his life and has been one of the finds of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Yadav is now fondly referred to by teammates and fans as 'SKY'. However, this wasn't the case until he joined the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2014 edition of the IPL.
The then KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir was one of the first few people to unearth Yadav's talent and show faith in him. Perhaps it was fitting that the name 'SKY' was given to him by Gambhir.
Speaking on the YouTube show 'Breakfast with Champions', Yadav revealed how the name 'SKY' was coined for him by the former KKR skipper. He recalled:
"When I went to KKR in 2014, Gauti Bhai called me 'SKY' two-three times from behind. I didn't pay attention. He then said, 'I am calling you only. Look at your initials!' That's when I realized that yes it's 'SKY'."
Most runs for India after 1st 3 T20I innings
139 - Suryakumar Yadav*
109 - Gautam Gambhir
99 - Suresh Raina
88 - Rohit Sharma
#INDvSL
Suryakumar Yadav on his bond with Sachin Tendulkar
Having represented Mumbai in domestic cricket, it is natural for Suryakumar Yadav to be in awe of the great Sachin Tendulkar. The 31-year-old shared an anecdote on how Tendulkar made him sit beside him in the Mumbai Indians (MI) dressing room and that has been where he sits ever since. He stated:
"When I went to the MI dressing room for the first time, there was no room to sit. I was standing with my kit bag. Tendulkar used to sit besides a Ganesh idol. He asked me to sit beside him and since then I am sitting there only. If God has told you to sit besides him, then always do that."
Just over a couple of years ago, Yadav was not even in India's white-ball plans. But with his performances, the 31-year-old has almost cemented his place in the team for the upcoming T20 World Cup. He has been crucial for MI this season as well, having scored 200 runs in four matches so far.