As he gears up for SMAT 2026, Surya rediscovers the passion and insights from 15-16 years ago
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Mumbai, Nov 10 : After enduring some difficult months after losing out on a spot in the squad for the shortest format of international game, India's 2026 Men's T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav is looking forward to leading Mumbai in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Surya is eager to lead Mumbai T20 side once again and wants to make up for missing out on being part of the Ranji Trophy side and is looking forward to interacting with young players in the side, exchanging ideas and dispensing the wisdom he has gained in the last 16 years as a player for Mumbai and India.
"I would be very happy and privileged to spend time with them and play for this association. I have always been around; I have been here for the last 16 years, and that energy and passion are still there. I would be very happy to take this forward, lead the team this time and win the tournament," said Suryakumar Yadav at an event organised by Mumbai Cricket Association to honour the men's and women's sections of the T20 Mumbai League.
"I have seen so many cricketers who have played alongside each other on the maidans of Mumbai cricket and learnt a lot of tricks from one another — how to handle situations, how to clear the sport. These are the things we discuss. Most importantly, we talk about how we can grow together.
"That's what I have seen over the last few months and years, whenever I have been part of the Mumbai dressing room and had the opportunity to spend time with the boys. Though I didn't get that opportunity during this Ranji Trophy season, going forward, in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, there will definitely be good times ahead," said SKY at the 'Celebrating with Champions' event at which the MCA honoured the Maratha Royals team, the champions of T20 Mumbai League Season 4, and Mumbai Falcons, who won the first season of Women's T20 Mumbai League, earlier this year.
Though he has been playing cricket at various levels, the 35-year-old Suryakumar Yadav has learnt from all opportunities and is looking forward to doing the same in the future too.
"There is still a lot to learn, and I continue to learn from all the players. There are a lot of young cricketers in the team right now. These boys are getting a platform to play domestic cricket, get recognised by IPL franchises and eventually get picked by them. I think this is a very important time for them," said Surya, who also talked about his experiences when he made his Mumbai debut, around 16 years back.
"When I first walked into the dressing room in 2010-11, I had seniors like Sachin (Tendulkar) sir, Amol Muzumdar and Ajit Agarkar. There were so many players whom I used to look up to. Whenever they went out for practice, I would spend a lot of time with them, talking. Sachin sir even gave me his space in the Mumbai dressing room, where he used to sit in the right corner. So, it was quite a special moment, a very memorable one.
Surya also talked about how things have changed since then and how today's youngsters have a different kind of passion and ambition for the game.
"Obviously, as I gradually started taking over, things began to change. I don't want to talk about when I first became the captain of Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, because things were very different at that time. I was a completely different person then. I have changed a lot since.
"But now, when I look at all the boys and spend time with them, I see a completely different kind of passion and hunger. They want to achieve something, build a brand, represent Mumbai at the franchise level, play for the Mumbai Cricket Association and, ultimately, represent India," he said.
The Mumbai Indians star talked about how things were a bit difficult for him after the T20 World Cup and how life changed for him after the birth of his daughter in May 2026.
"Things have been a little difficult after the T20 World Cup. I don't want to run away from that fact. If you are not honest with yourself, it is very difficult to lead a happy life. So, to be very honest, it has been very difficult. But at the same time, during the IPL, I was blessed with a baby girl in May. The focus shifted completely towards her. The last few months, since she was born, have been very beautiful.
"The first two months, though, were very difficult. But then I thought, why not go back to thinking about how I was before? How I started my cricket journey, when all I used to think about was playing age-group cricket for Mumbai and eventually representing Mumbai in first-class cricket. I sat down and thought about all these things and started chatting with my wife. She said the same thing. She felt I needed to bring back the love and passion for the game that I had when I was a 15-year-old kid who wanted to represent Mumbai in Under-15 cricket," said Surya.
He said that period got him thinking, and he started doing things with the same passion as he did 10-15 years ago.
"So, that's what I started thinking about, and I am now following the same things I did 10-15 years ago. I am training again, following the same passion and the same love for the game. Everything is back to normal now. When you start thinking about it and focus on playing this sport, you want to do well for your team and your family. Things change completely, and that's what I am doing right now," he said during an interaction at the MCA event.
Surya is eager to lead Mumbai T20 side once again and wants to make up for missing out on being part of the Ranji Trophy side and is looking forward to interacting with young players in the side, exchanging ideas and dispensing the wisdom he has gained in the last 16 years as a player for Mumbai and India.
"I would be very happy and privileged to spend time with them and play for this association. I have always been around; I have been here for the last 16 years, and that energy and passion are still there. I would be very happy to take this forward, lead the team this time and win the tournament," said Suryakumar Yadav at an event organised by Mumbai Cricket Association to honour the men's and women's sections of the T20 Mumbai League.
"I have seen so many cricketers who have played alongside each other on the maidans of Mumbai cricket and learnt a lot of tricks from one another — how to handle situations, how to clear the sport. These are the things we discuss. Most importantly, we talk about how we can grow together.
"That's what I have seen over the last few months and years, whenever I have been part of the Mumbai dressing room and had the opportunity to spend time with the boys. Though I didn't get that opportunity during this Ranji Trophy season, going forward, in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, there will definitely be good times ahead," said SKY at the 'Celebrating with Champions' event at which the MCA honoured the Maratha Royals team, the champions of T20 Mumbai League Season 4, and Mumbai Falcons, who won the first season of Women's T20 Mumbai League, earlier this year.
Though he has been playing cricket at various levels, the 35-year-old Suryakumar Yadav has learnt from all opportunities and is looking forward to doing the same in the future too.
"There is still a lot to learn, and I continue to learn from all the players. There are a lot of young cricketers in the team right now. These boys are getting a platform to play domestic cricket, get recognised by IPL franchises and eventually get picked by them. I think this is a very important time for them," said Surya, who also talked about his experiences when he made his Mumbai debut, around 16 years back.
"When I first walked into the dressing room in 2010-11, I had seniors like Sachin (Tendulkar) sir, Amol Muzumdar and Ajit Agarkar. There were so many players whom I used to look up to. Whenever they went out for practice, I would spend a lot of time with them, talking. Sachin sir even gave me his space in the Mumbai dressing room, where he used to sit in the right corner. So, it was quite a special moment, a very memorable one.
Surya also talked about how things have changed since then and how today's youngsters have a different kind of passion and ambition for the game.
"Obviously, as I gradually started taking over, things began to change. I don't want to talk about when I first became the captain of Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, because things were very different at that time. I was a completely different person then. I have changed a lot since.
"But now, when I look at all the boys and spend time with them, I see a completely different kind of passion and hunger. They want to achieve something, build a brand, represent Mumbai at the franchise level, play for the Mumbai Cricket Association and, ultimately, represent India," he said.
The Mumbai Indians star talked about how things were a bit difficult for him after the T20 World Cup and how life changed for him after the birth of his daughter in May 2026.
"Things have been a little difficult after the T20 World Cup. I don't want to run away from that fact. If you are not honest with yourself, it is very difficult to lead a happy life. So, to be very honest, it has been very difficult. But at the same time, during the IPL, I was blessed with a baby girl in May. The focus shifted completely towards her. The last few months, since she was born, have been very beautiful.
"The first two months, though, were very difficult. But then I thought, why not go back to thinking about how I was before? How I started my cricket journey, when all I used to think about was playing age-group cricket for Mumbai and eventually representing Mumbai in first-class cricket. I sat down and thought about all these things and started chatting with my wife. She said the same thing. She felt I needed to bring back the love and passion for the game that I had when I was a 15-year-old kid who wanted to represent Mumbai in Under-15 cricket," said Surya.
He said that period got him thinking, and he started doing things with the same passion as he did 10-15 years ago.
"So, that's what I started thinking about, and I am now following the same things I did 10-15 years ago. I am training again, following the same passion and the same love for the game. Everything is back to normal now. When you start thinking about it and focus on playing this sport, you want to do well for your team and your family. Things change completely, and that's what I am doing right now," he said during an interaction at the MCA event.
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