Suryakumar Yadav sustains a hand injury during Buchi Babu tournament clash against TNCA XI ahead of Duleep Trophy
Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav's return to red-ball cricket turned into a largely forgettable one as he did not turn up to bat in the second innings against TNCA XI due to a hand injury. The 33-year-old sustained the injury during Mumbai's Buchi Babu Tournament opener.
Suryakumar was stationed at leg slip in TNCA XI's second innings on Day 3 after Mumbai conceded a heavy lead in the first half of the contest. Pradosh Ranjan Paul nudged a delivery on the leg stump line bowled by Musheer Khan, bringing India's T20I skipper into play.
Suryakumar attempted to claim the ball traveling to his right, but it struck his hand instead of his palm. He immediately went down in pain, leading to the physios running in to assess the situation.
He eventually walked off the field after the initial treatment and did not bat in the second innings as Mumbai were bundled for 223 runs to record a mammoth 286-run loss. The scoreboard mentioned 'absent hurt' against Suryakumar Yadav's name following the contest.
He had scored a brisk 30 runs in the first innings, where Mumbai were bowled out for a paltry 156 in reply to TNCA XI's 379.
There is no update on the severity of Suryakumar's injury by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) or the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) so far.
Suryakumar Yadav has been named in Team C of the Duleep Trophy 2024
The injury has come at a bad time for Suryakumar Yadav, who has been named in the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Team C of the 2024 Duleep Trophy. The tournament that kickstarts the domestic and home season in India, is scheduled to begin on September 5.
The right-handed batter recently expressed his desire to return to Team India's red-ball squad. He has played only one Test which came during the 2023 Border-Gavaskar series, but has extensive experience in first-class cricket for Mumbai.
He had spent a considerable time on the sidelines after sustaining an ankle injury during the South Africa tour in late 2023. Coupled with a hernia issue, Suryakumar Yadav could make a comeback only by the time the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) began.