Cricket: “Can’t wait to be back” - India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav on road to recovery following surgery
Yadav on the mend following hernia surgery
India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav confirmed earlier today that he is on the road to recovery after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia in his lower right abdomen, which took place in Germany, where he and his family went on vacation following the conclusion of the Indian Premier League.
Notably, this is the second time the 34-year-old batter has undergone surgery for a sports hernia, having previously had a similar procedure conducted in January 2024, shortly after facing ankle surgery for an injury sustained against South Africa back in December 2023.
Yadav last donned the famous Blue Shirt when his side clinched a commanding 4-1 victory over England in a five-match T20I series earlier this year before setting off on what turned out to be an incredible IPL campaign with the Mumbai Indians.
The star batter scored a stunning 717 runs in 16 innings for Mumbai, and while the team suffered disappointment in the knockout rounds, Yadav was named the Most Valuable Player for the 15th edition of the IPL. After his surgery, Yadav wrote on social media:
"Life Update: Underwent surgery for a sports hernia in the lower right abdomen. Grateful to share that after a smooth surgery, I’m already on the road to recovery. Can’t wait to be back."
Yadav is expected to commence rehabilitation at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where he will work his way back to full fitness ahead of India’s three-match away T20I series against Bangladesh in August.
T20I skipper heaps praise on Jaiswal despite India's first Test defeat
India’s first of five Test matches over the next six weeks against England got off to a disappointing start, with the team suffering defeat at Headingley on Tuesday. Despite setting the Three Lions a defendable target of 371, the home side romped to a five-wicket victory.
However, the defeat did not stop Yadav from shouting out young Yashasvi Jaiswal for his brilliant display in the first Test. The 23-year-old opener produced a stunning century on Day 1 of the match and helped the Men in Blue to a solid first innings total of 471.
Jaiswal smashed 16 fours and a six en route to 101 off just 159 deliveries, and in doing so, he also became just the fifth Indian batsman to score a century in their maiden Test in England, joining the likes of Murali Vijay, Sourav Ganguly, Sandeep Patil and Vijay Manjrekar.
New Test skipper Shubman Gill and KL Rahul also posted centuries in the match, while vice-captain Rishabh Pant notched up a ton in each innings. India will be hoping to level the series in the second Test, which gets underway on July 2 at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
