I have always dreamt of playing under Virat Kohli: Suryakumar Yadav after India T20I call-up

Suryakumar Yadav earned a deserved call-up to the Indian national team setup for the upcoming T20I series against England. Having missed out on the flight to Australia, the 30-year old from Mumbai has been finally rewarded for his consistent performances including a 480-run season with the Mumbai Indians. Now getting to play a part in the Indian team led by Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav has spoken about his expectations from playing under skipper Virat Kohli.

“Firstly, I am looking forward to spending some quality time with the team and soaking in the atmosphere when I reach Ahmedabad. I have always dreamt of playing under Virat Kohli for a long time and I am excited to go and learn a lot from Virat as quickly as I can so that I can be a better player,” said Suryakumar Yadav.

Asked what he hopes to learn from the RCB and Indian skipper, Suryakumar says, “I have played against him in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the way he reflects his energy on the field even after achieving so much for India is remarkable. I have seen him on the field keeping himself charged all the time. His want-to-win attitude is something to learn.”

Having shared the dressing room with the likes of Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya who are an integral part of Virat Kohli’s Team India, Suryakumar reveals that he already knows quite a bit about Virat Kohli. “Over the years, playing with the Mumbai Indians, I have got to learn and know so much about Virat from Hardik Pandya as well. Whenever we have been together, I have asked Hardik what Virat does differently during the practice sessions that he is the best on the ground. Hardik has also told me that Virat practices differently, the energy he has in the practice sessions -- be it batting or fielding -- is completely different and he is the same on the ground. So, these are some of the things that I want to learn from him which makes him the best," he added.

The T20I series against England is set to begin from the 12th of March, with all five games of the series to be played in the newly renovated and renamed Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.