• Source:JND
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MI vs RR IPL 2025: Mumbai Indians star batter Suryakumar Yadav recently talked about what was going through his mind ahead of his Mumbai-based franchise debut match way back in 2011 and that he couldn't sleep the night before his debut match. He first grabbed attention in the 2011-2010 Ranji Trophy, where he was the highest run-scorer for Mumbai as he scored 751 runs after playing in nine matches. Mumbai Indians then roped him on the back of his brilliant performance in a domestic tournament.

He played his debut match for MI during their 2011 IPL clash against Pune Warriors in their backyard. He did feature in just one match and got out for a duck. It was the only match, where he was seen in action for the Mumbai-based franchise.

Post playing for a while for them, Kolkata Knight Riders then bought him during the 2013 IPL auction and played a huge role as their middle-order batter and also helped the team lift the title during the 2014 IPL.

“I barely slept the night before my debut for Mumbai Indians – went to bed around 4 or 5 in the morning. There was so much excitement. Playing for a franchise brings a different kind of buzz. I was just enjoying the moment, thinking about stepping onto the field for warm-up, and as soon as I did, I was already sweating. It felt really good," Suryakumar Yadav was quoted as saying on JioHotstar.

Then he returned to MI during the 2018 IPL auction and had a dream run as he had scored 512 runs and had become quite an important part of their batting attack. He did play a huge role during the 2019 and 2020 IPL season and helped the team lift titles and that's how he received his team India debut call-up.

“In 2018, I didn’t expect to open. I didn’t in the first two games, but then the team management came to me and said they wanted me to take on that responsibility. I was keen, so I embraced it. From there, it was up to me to make the most of the opportunity. I didn’t overthink it. Having played all my cricket in Mumbai, I was familiar with the conditions at Wankhede and the pitches. I just kept playing and practicing. I didn’t expect to have a season with 500 runs as my previous seasons never went beyond 200, but this felt different" he added.

He also talked about the IPL 2019 summit clash against CSK, which they won by just one run. Even though he wasn't part of the decision-making process, he did observe closely and said, “I was standing at a distance when Rohit and Malinga were talking. Malinga just said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll do it.’ And he did. That moment taught me how important calmness is in such pressure situations."

One of the biggest achievements of his career was way back in 2020 when he was snubbed from Team India's squad for the Test series against Australia. He performed consistently in domestic tournaments and played well during the IPL. “Everyone thought I would be selected. Even overseas players were saying the same. When I didn’t see my name in the squad, I didn’t talk to anyone for 2-3 days. I didn’t practice either. Mahela and Zaheer could see that something was wrong," he added.

Post 2021, Suryakumar admitted that he changed the way how he saw batting in the shortest format. “Earlier, I was batting at a strike rate of 140–150. But the game changed. So I started practicing different shots to stay ahead of the bowlers and captains. I focused on areas where I could score with less risk. My century this season against Sunrisers Hyderabad came because of that practice, “Earlier, I was batting at a strike rate of 140–150. But the game changed. So I started practicing different shots to stay ahead of the bowlers and captains. I focused on areas where I could score with less risk. My century this season against Sunrisers Hyderabad came because of that practice. “Earlier, I was batting at a strike rate of 140–150. But the game changed. So I started practicing different shots to stay ahead of the bowlers and captains. I focused on areas where I could score with less risk. My century this season against Sunrisers Hyderabad came because of that practice," he concluded.

Suryakumar has now become one of India's star batters and also for MI, known for his aggressive batting. He was part of India's 2024 T20 World Cup winning squad and is currently India's T20I captain. After playing in 160 IPL matches, he scored more than 4000 runs, which also includes two hundred and 27 fifties.

The Hardik Pandya-led side is preparing for their upcoming match against Rajasthan Royal, which will be held in Jaipur on Thursday.