"Barely Slept Night Before My Mumbai Indians Debut": Suryakumar Yadav

Mumbai Indians batter Suryakumar Yadav recently reflected on his debut season for Mumbai Indians in 2011 and said that he “barely slept” the night before the game. Suryakumar first came into prominence during the 2011–12 Ranji Trophy season, where he emerged as the top scorer for Mumbai with 754 runs in nine matches. His impressive domestic form earned him a spot in the Mumbai Indians squad the same year. In the 2012 IPL, Suryakumar made his debut for Mumbai Indians against Pune Warriors at the Wankhede Stadium. He played in one match and was dismissed for a duck. This was also the only match he played for MI in that season.

After a brief stint, he moved to Kolkata Knight Riders in 2013 and played a key role in their middle order, contributing to their title win in 2014.

"I barely slept the night before my debut for Mumbai Indians - went to bed around 4 or 5 in the morning. There was so much excitement. Playing for a franchise brings a different kind of buzz. I was just enjoying the moment, thinking about stepping onto the field for warm-up and as soon as I did, I was already sweating. It felt really good,” Suryakumar said on JioHotstar's special show, The Suryakumar Yadav Experience.

In 2018, Suryakumar returned to Mumbai Indians and enjoyed a breakthrough season with 512 runs, becoming a vital part of their batting lineup. His performances in the 2019 and 2020 seasons were instrumental in MI's title runs and eventually led to his much-awaited national team call-up.

“In 2018, I didn't expect to open. I didn't in the first two games, but then the team management came to me and said they wanted me to take on that responsibility. I was keen, so I embraced it. From there, it was up to me to make the most of the opportunity.