India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav will lead the four-match T20I series against South Africa that starts from Friday, November 8. It is in the aftermath of the astonishing 3-0 whitewash India had suffered at home in the Test series against New Zealand. Suryakumar Yadav had never been part of the Test squad for that series and has till date played just one Test for India. He expressed a desire to play in the upcoming South Africa series and stated that he was actively featuring in red-ball and white-ball domestic tournaments, which kept his chances alive.

Suryakumar Yadav’s Keen To Make A Test Comeback

“When the time comes, I will make a Test comeback. I am playing in all domestic tournaments, be it red-ball or white-ball. I don’t miss any games. If a Test comeback is meant to happen, it will,” he said

His lone Test was against Australia in 2023. He was also included in the reserves for the World Test Championship final later in the year. While Suryakumar has not played that many games in the longest format, he does have an excellent first-class record: 84 matches with 5,656 runs scored at 42.84, which means 14 hundreds and 29 fifties, and a personal best of 200.

Suryakumar’s Heroics In Ranji Trophy

Suryakumar was appointed Mumbai’s captain in the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy season. However, he was relieved midway through the season. In that particular season, Suryakumar scored 690 runs in 10 matches. The following season, he played a crucial role in winning them the title of the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy. Suryakumar ended up one of the top five run-scoring batsmen with 788 runs in the series and hit three hundreds. His best knock was a brilliant 115 runs in the semi-final against Madhya Pradesh. He further led Mumbai into the 2016-17 Ranji final, but lost to Gujarat in the title match.

Domestic cricket experience coupled with his leadership skills makes him an integral member for India during the T20I series against South Africa, even as he chases a return to the Test fold.