Suryakumar Yadav revisits KKR memories ahead of T20I series opener
What's the story
India's T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, has reminisced his fond memories of donning the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) jersey at Eden Gardens.
The Indian team is currently gearing up for a five-match T20I series against England, starting January 22 in Kolkata.
During a break in a practice session, Yadav spoke about his nostalgia for the city and its iconic cricket ground.
Here's more.
Culinary nostalgia
Yadav's fondness for Kolkata's 'Mishti doi'
Yadav also revealed his love for Kolkata's traditional sweet, 'Mishti Doi.' He then recalled how people welcomed him with this delicacy during his initial days with KKR.
"When I came here the first time, people fed me a lot of 'Mishti Doi.' I ate that a lot and even today whenever we come here and have some space for a cheat meal, we add it after the meal," Yadav said in a video released by BCCI.
Career progression
Yadav's journey from KKR player to India's T20I skipper
Yadav joined KKR in 2014 and played for the team till 2017, before being bought by Mumbai Indians for βΉ3.4 crore ahead of IPL 2018.
He reminisced about his journey from a KKR player to leading the Indian team at Eden Gardens.
"I still remember it was 2014 when I came to KKR for the first time. From then to now, obviously, I never thought that I would be leading India after 10-11 years," he said.
Mentorship
Yadav's learnings under Gautam Gambhir's leadership
Yadav also spoke about his learnings under former KKR captain, Gautam Gambhir.
He said he was excited to lead the Indian team at this historic venue.
"It has been a beautiful journey, it feels so good to think. Whenever I sit in the room, I think that I used to come and play here 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 those four years," he added.
Winning streak
Yadav's unbeaten record as India's T20I captain
As India's T20I captain, Yadav has never lost a single series in the shortest format.
He has led the team to victory in three out of five series so far, with one series ending in a draw against South Africa in 2023.
Meanwhile, the upcoming five-match T20I series against England will kick off at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.
Numbers
Recap of Suryakumar Yadav's T20I career
India's T20I captain boasts a stellar stat card in the shortest form of the game.
SKY has featured in 78 T20Is racking up 2,570 runs with a strike rate of 167.86.
Additionally, he also owns an average of 40.79, including four hundreds (second most by an Indian in T20Is) and 21 fifties.
Notably, his highest T20I score is 117 vs England.
Twitter Post
Twitter Post
ππππ© ππππ£ πππ§πππ£π¨ ππππ‘ππ£π ποΈ
β BCCI (@BCCI) January 21, 2025
ft. Captain Suryakumar Yadav π#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @surya_14kumar | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/lB1MJse70w