"If I get a feeling that wearing thigh pads would hinder me from playing the shots that I love, then I donโt wear it" - Suryakumar Yadavย
Team India batter Suryakumar Yadav revealed that he generally refrains from wearing thigh pads as he believes it restricts his elaborate strokeplay.
Earning the monicker 'Mr.360', just like the legendary South African batter AB de Villiers, the Mumbai-born player requires full access and flexibility to accommodate his range of shots.
Suryakumar needs to move the bat across his body in order to score behind the wicket, and the presence of a tight pad could arguably intervene in his attempt.
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Noting that the decision to not wear thigh pads during the T20 World Cup 2022 on the pacy and bouncy Australian wickets was a mistake, Suryakumar said during an interview with PTI:
"In the World T20 in Australia, I was wearing thigh pads as it was the first time I was touring the country and it wasnโt a great idea (not wearing them) on those tracks with pace and bounce. But yes, on Indian tracks with low bounce, if I get a feeling that wearing thigh pads would hinder me from playing the shots that I love, then I donโt wear it."
He looked at ease during his first trip to Australia and made the most of his form by scoring 251 runs across six matches across the ICC tournament.
"Even without me asking, the management entrusted me with that responsibility" - Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar's first major stint was with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where he functioned as a lower-middle order batter. However, he was unable to elevate to the next level due to receiving limited opportunities in the stacked batting line-up.
A switch to the Mumbai Indians (MI) turned things around for the right-handed batter. He was promoted to the top of the order right away and scored 512 runs in his maiden IPL campaign with MI. Consistent performances for the franchise eventually helped him get to the national side.
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Explaining the importance of MI to his career, he said:
"When I came back here from KKR in 2018, I was looking for an opportunity to bat higher up the order and even without me asking, the management entrusted me with that responsibility. I grabbed that opportunity, kept performing and never looked back. MI provided me with all the facilities I required to move up the ladder."
The switch to MI arguably changed Suryakumar's career. Despite his success with the franchise, he had to wait a while to make his Team India debut.
Would the ace batter have made it to the national side whilst playing for KKR? Let us know what you think.
Also Read: "I am actually very lucky that I share dressing room with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma" - Suryakumar Yadav