Suryakumar Yadav eager to ‘earn his spot’ back into India’s Test squad

India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has indicated his wish to find his way back into the red-ball fold, even if it means having to ‘earn his way’ back into the scheme of things.

Surya, the No.1 ranked T20I batter, has enjoyed a prolific career path in the shortest format. However, despite staggering First-Class numbers of 5628 runs at an average of 43.62, his debut against Australia in 2023 at Nagpur remains the solitary Test he has played so far.

While the star batter did struggle with injury after his debut Test, he hasn’t been on the selectors’ radar in the Test format, and he’s ready to toil hard to present his case yet again.

Surya said, "There are a lot of people who have worked really hard to earn their place and even I want to earn that spot again."

"I made my debut for India in Tests. After that, I got injured as well. There were a lot of people who got an opportunity and have done well too. They deserve that opportunity right now.”

The likes of KL Rahul, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan among others are Surya’s immediate competitors for a spot in the middle order, and interesting, all four will feature in the much-awaited Duleep Trophy tournament that kicks off on September 5th in Bengaluru and Anantapur.

The Duleep Trophy and the ongoing Buchi Babu domestic tournaments will give an opportunity for Surya to woo the selectors with his performances, with a massive chance to find a spot in the squad given India’s busy schedule of 10 Tests lined up over the next few months.

Surya said, "Going forward, if I have to play, then I will automatically play. That's not in my control. What's in my power right now is to play the Buchi Babu tournament, go on to play the Duleep Trophy and then see what happens. But yes, I'm really looking forward (to it). There are 10 Test matches lined up and I'm obviously excited for some red-ball fun.”