"He is pretty well tactically also equipped to handle situation as a captain" - Suryakumar Yadav's club coach feels SKY is ready to lead India

Former Mumbai cricketer Vinayak Mane has said that Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav possesses captaincy skills and is tactically equipped to handle tough situations.

Suryakumar, 32, had to toil in domestic cricket for more than a decade with his own share of ups and downs. While there were many obstacles laid into his path of success, the Mumbai player never shied away from challenges.

On the back of consistency in domestic cricket and the IPL, Suryakumar earned his maiden India call for the five-match T20I series against England in March 2021. He made his international debut in the same month in Ahmedabad against the English side. However, Suryakumar didn’t get the opportunity to bat in his debut game, but made 57 in his first T20I innings in the fourth game of the series.

Suryakumar continued to perform in India’s middle order and developed his batting and game awareness while playing game after game. In July 2022, Suryakumar Yadav scored his first T20I century against England in Nottingham, although it came in a losing cause for India. But that knock was sufficient to reveal his strong character amid pressure-like situations.

Suryakumar Yadav was part of India’s 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia and played a phenomenal role with the bat in the middle-order. He accumulated 239 runs in six matches at an average of 59.75 and a strike rate of 189.68 in the showpiece event.

Suryakumar has played under former Mumbai batter Vinayak Mane’s captaincy at Bharat Petroleum in corporate tournaments. The 32-year-old still trains under Mane at the Parsi Gymkhana in Mumbai.

Speaking to Sportskeeda in an exclusive interview on the captaincy qualities of Suryakumar Yadav, Mane said:

“He is one of the leading contenders to lead the batting line-up, and to be honest knowing Surya for so many years, he is pretty well tactically also equipped to handle situation as a captain also. It's up to the sselectors,but whatever I know of him as a cricketing brain, he’s pretty well equipped to handle team tactics on the field.”

Suryakumar captained the Mumbai cricket team in the 2014-15 Ranji season but quit the role midway through the season, citing to focus on his batting performance. He was re-appointed captain ahead of the 2019-20 season and also led Mumbai in the the 2020-21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

---

"He is a player who is setting the benchmark for other senior cricketers" - Vinayak Mane lavishes praise on Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar is one of the rare international players who still makes himself available to play club-level matches. In December 2021, Suryakumar Yadav played in the final of the 2021-22 Police Invitation Shield Cricket tournament between Parsee Gymkhana and Payyade Sports Club.

Playing for Parsee Gymkhana, Suryakumar slammed 249 in the first innings as his team eventually won by 298 runs.

Speaking on the significance of international cricketers playing in club-level tournaments, Mane explained:

“He is a player who is setting the benchmark for other senior cricketers that club game is also important. Because if the senior player comes and plays a club game then there might be a junior who might pick up something from him. The youngster might gain confidence and go on to play for Mumbai and India. He is setting the right example for other players also.”

Suryakumar has been named in India’s 16-member squad led by Hardik Pandya for the upcoming three-match T20I series in New Zealand, starting on November 18 in Wellington.