Raipur: Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed that timely advice from his wife and a conscious break from social media helped him overcome a prolonged lean phase and score his first half-century in 468 days during India’s seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the second T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Friday.
In a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Player of the Match Ishan Kishan asked Suryakumar about his cautious start, referring to the recent scrutiny over his form. Responding candidly, the skipper said his wife played a key role in helping him reset mentally.
“We all have a coach at home—the one you’re married to. She kept telling me to take some time. She understands me very well and can read my mind. I followed her advice, took it slow at the start in the last game and did the same in this match,” Suryakumar said.
The 35-year-old also spoke about how a short break from cricket and stepping away from social media helped him regain clarity and confidence.
“I was doing well in the nets, but until you score runs in matches, that confidence doesn’t come. I used the two to three-week break well, went home, stayed off social media and focused on practice. It really helped my mental space. Cricket is a great leveller, and humility is very important,” he said.
Suryakumar also highlighted the importance of collective team performance, while sharing a light-hearted moment involving Abhishek Sharma, who has been among India’s standout performers over the past year.
“I wanted to break the notion that India wins only when Abhishek scores. If Ishan scores, we can win matches too. Abhishek is one of my favourite batters and I want him to score in every game, but cricket is a team sport. You win when all eleven contribute,” he added.
Suryakumar played a match-winning knock of 82 off just 32 balls, smashing nine fours and four sixes to guide India to a comfortable victory over the Blackcaps.