The India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav is gradually progressing well in his rehabilitation and there’s no concern about his availability for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh next month. None, according to information coming in from National Cricket Academy (NCA) medical staff and Suryakumar himself are happy with how the rehabilitation is coming along.
Duleep Trophy Comeback
He had been selected for India C for the opening round of the Duleep Trophy against India D, starting in Anantapur, a city four hours away from Bengaluru. He picked up an injury and withdrew from the match, after which he was sent to the NCA for further assessment and rehabilitation.
“Surya’s recovery is going well. He is almost 100 per cent and he knows it,” said a BCCI source who met Surya on the sidelines of the Duleep Trophy match between India A and India B at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Suryakumar Yadav On The Road To Recovery
The incident occurred during the Buchi Babu Invitational tournament, where Suryakumar sprained his right thumb while fielding on the third day against TNCA XI. As a precautionary measure, he did not take part in the second innings of that match.
“The BCCI Medical Team is continuing to assess his injury, and a further evaluation next week will determine his availability for the second round,” the BCCI said in an official press release on September 4, he confirmed Suryakumar’s unavailability in the first round.
Suryakumar Yadav came to the Chinnaswamy Stadium during the India A vs India B match as he had long discussions with some of his India teammates and was seen to be in jolly spirits, particularly on Sunday.
Appearance In Red-Ball Cricket
For now, Surya is likely to feature in the latter stages of the Duleep Trophy, but still remains a doubtful starter for the second round, starting Thursday, September 12. The BCCI haven’t named any replacement for him in the India C squad and is hopeful that he would be fit to join the side from the second round. His participation in India C’s match against India B will, mark his comeback to red-ball cricket after 14 months – his last red-ball game being in the Duleep Trophy last year.
Also Read: From Duleep Trophy Debut To India A Squad: Musheer Khan Gets Maiden Australia Tour Call-Up
Duleep Trophy: A Way Towards India Team Selection
Surya’s quest for a place in the Test team can be decided by his performance in Duleep Trophy. While he has done exceptionally well in T20Is, in other formats, he hasn’t been as convincing. Given ample chances in ODIs, his average remained that of 25 in 35 innings which didn’t leave much impact.
While Surya made his Test debut in last year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, he was ruled out after just one game owing to injury. The Duleep Trophy squads are expected to see a number of changes since, except Sarfaraz Khan, all the Indian Test players will leave for Chennai to attend the preparatory camp starting September 12. The home season starts with a two-Test series against Bangladesh from September 19.
