"Take this chair and you can sit there" - Suryakumar Yadav recalls first-ever interaction with Sachin Tendulkar in the Wankhede dressing room

Team India batter Suryakumar Yadav has recalled his first-ever interaction with legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar after rising through the youth ranks in Mumbai.

The right-handed batter became a hot prospect on the Mumbai cricketing circuit after piling on runs on a consistent basis. He was involved with the sport from the age of 10 and went on to make his first-class debut as a 20-year-old.

Suryakumar Yadav made his debut for the Mumbai Indians (MI) two years later in 2012, when Sachin Tendulkar was in the twilight of his career.

Yadav has now revealed that he still sits at the spot where Tendulkar asked him to take a seat during their first interaction. He was quoted as saying in the most recent edition of the Cricket Monthly:

"I went to warm up and then when my opportunity came to go and bat in the nets, I wanted to change, I had to put on my pads and all my gear. Sir [Tendulkar] was sitting right next to the Ganesh murti [idol] in the dressing room. He said, 'Take this chair and you can sit there.'"

Yadav continued:

"I just wanted to quickly sit, wear my pads and bat for the first time in the nets. I was very excited. And that's the place where I sit even today, whenever I go to the dressing room."

Suryakumar Yadav came into the spotlight as a lower middle-order batter for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He then returned to the Mumbai Indians (MI) and has been one of their marquee players in recent times.

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I watch videos of any beautiful Test, ODI or T20 innings played on YouTube: Suryakumar Yadav

Cricketers often seek constant improvement with an innate desire to iron out their flaws. Suryakumar Yadav is no different, often using videos on YouTube to refine himself.

Stating that he watches good innings played by his peers across all formats, Suryakumar Yadav said:

"I watch videos of any beautiful Test innings played or any nice one-day innings or any nice T20 innings on YouTube because I like to see and learn what people did in those situations, what I can do better when I go in to bat, how I can improvise, how it can help me and my team."

He added that he also watches his own innings on the online platform, especially when he plays well:

"I do watch my innings as well. I love watching it when I come back to the hotel room. If it was really good - like, for example, there was a situation and I pulled off something brilliant - I watch it again and again."

Yadav has quickly become India's mainstay in the middle order in white-ball cricket. While he has had to be patient for a chance in the national team, he has made the most of the opportunity to cement his place in the playing XI.

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