Family Background and Early Life
On September 14th, 1990, Suryakumar Ashok Yadav, known as “SKY”, was born in Hathouda village, Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. His early life was spent in Varanasi, where he played gully cricket. He later trained at Dr. Sampurnanand Sports Stadium. At age 10, he and his family moved to Mumbai, where his father, Ashok Kumar Yadav, began working as a Chief Engineer at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). Suryakumar’s mother, Sapna Yadav, supported his early sports. While he excelled in badminton, he decided to pursue cricket professionally.
Education
Suryakumar completed his education at Atomic Energy Central School and attended Pillai College of Arts, Commerce, and Science. There, his father admitted him to BARC’s cricket training camp in Chembur, under the coaching of Ashok Kamat. After that, he further honed his skills at the famous ELF Vengsarkar Academy, mentored by former international cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar.
Suryakumar began his cricket journey in Mumbai’s age-group and club matches. He started to gain recognition in junior cricket, which ultimately led to his selection for the Mumbai state team. His consistent achievements in the domestic circuit earned him a debut in the Ranji Trophy and other higher-level tournaments.
In 2010, Suryakumar debuted for Mumbai in List A, first-class and T20 matches. He became an integral member of the Mumbai squad and even captained them during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, in which they claimed the title under his leadership. He was also exceptional in the Ranji Trophy and Police Shield tournament, scoring 249 runs for Parsi Gymkhana.
Suryakumar started his IPL career with the Mumbai Indians in 2012. He later joined the Kolkata Knight Riders and won his first IPL title with them in 2014. He rejoined the Mumbai Indians in 2018, where he established himself as a key top-order batsman, helping the franchise lift IPL titles in 2019 and 2020. He is known for his innovative batting and ability to perform under pressure and is a very popular figure among fans.
International Career
While doing well in domestic cricket, Suryakumar’s international career started much later in life, during his thirties. He set a record by hitting a six on the first ball of his T20I career against England in March 2021. He debuted for the ODI team later that year and played a test match against Australia in February 2023, his only one.
He has done remarkably well in his T20I matches. Surya is one of the leading run-scorers in international cricket, having registered over 3000 runs and notched up four T20I centuries, making him the second-highest century scorer in T20Is. He was part of India’s winning teams in the 2023 Asia Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup. After Kohli and Rohit, other senior players decided to retire from international cricket, and Suryakumar was appointed as the Captain of the T20I side. He successfully led India to win a series against strong opponents like England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Sri Lanka.
Batting Style and Records
Suryakumar is dubbed “Mr. 360” due to his ability to strike the ball in all areas of the field. He is well-known for his reckless batting and inventive sweeps, ramps, and lofts. His pull shot against faster bowlers is especially famous. His ICC T20I ranking from October 2022 to June 2024 had him on top, and he also captured the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year award in 2022 and 2023.
Awards and Honours
- Received the ICC T20I format awards for 2022 and 2023.
- Inclusion in The ICC Men’s T20I Team of The Year for 2022 and 2023.
- Won the MA Chidambaram Trophy as the Best Under-22 Cricketer in 2011.
- Multiple IPL Title wins in 2014 (KKR) and 2019 & 2020 (Mumbai Indians).
- Broke out as the Asia Cup Winner in 2023.
- T20 World Cup Winner in 2024.
Personal Life
Family and Marriage
Suryakumar Yadav is blissfully married to Devisha Shetty, a professional dance coach and his long-time partner. Their relationship is warm and steadfast. Throughout Suryakumar’s cricketing career, he has had a cheerleader, Devisha, who supports him during the hard days and celebrates wins. Their relationship is often described as a blend of love and unwavering support.
Interests and Hobbies
Beyond cricket, Suryakumar indulges in activities that refresh him and make life enjoyable. These include music, relaxation, and even travelling, which allows him to discover new places and their cultures. From cricket, these vacations aid in keeping him positive and fresh.
Mental Well-being and Lifestyle
Shuryakumar believes in maintaining a holistic work-life balance. During moments of difficult pressure, his mindfulness and meditation serve as great mental and emotional armour to keep him strong. His calm and positive demeanour sets the tone for his games and friendly and personal interactions. He often considers mental health a vital subject to address, which he talks about in interviews and posts on his social media.
Online Branding
As for his social media, Suryakumar tends to keep his personal life private, but occasionally, he gives snapshots of it through social media. Fans value and appreciate his approachable demeanour and the candid moments he shares, making him even more relatable and adored. His personality, which is easy to talk to and friendly, has played a significant role in Suryakumar’s huge and devoted fan following.
Philanthropy
In addition to his family and cricket, Suryakumar has a quiet side regarding charitable work. He works towards educating and developing sports for children and supports other related causes. Though he does not strive for media recognition for such activities, his close relatives state that he is very dedicated to helping society and nurturing young talents.
Lifestyle and Assets
Residence
As a cricketer and one of Mumbai’s most popular public figures, Suryakumar Yadav is based in India’s second-largest city, which hosts immense socio-cultural activities and is an international Cricketing hub. Suryakumar is a family man who loves to spend time with his family after his busy schedule.
Cars and Vehicles
Suryakumar is a sports fanatic and has a luxurious collection of cars. These stylish automobiles showcase his success in cricket, along with strong scratching facing parallel roads.
Earnings and Endorsements
Due to his fantastic performances, Suryakumar has a good net worth of spending. Surya is also paid to market the brand’s products, which is a good passive income for him apart from his cricket salary.
Hobbies and Interests
Apart from his love for cricket, travelling, music, and exploring new places are the other hobbies Suryakumar’s teammates engage in during their free time.
Financial Stability
With the league’s declaration, Suryakumar has made a good reputation for himself and excelled during the matches. While living a comfortable life, he remains focused on personal growth instead.
Social Media and Fan Following
Suryakumar is very famous on social media. He has fan interactions, and his batting videos are very creative and often go viral. He has a lot of fans due to his friendly nature and confidence on the field. He has 18M followers on Instagram.
FAQs and Interesting Facts
Suryakumar is well known as the first Indian to hit a six on the first ball in T20 international cricket.
Suryakumar is also known to demonstrate unique and complicated shots, which are referred to as 360-degree batting.
Although he started playing international cricket comparatively late, he quickly became integral to India’s limited overseas sides.
The journey of Suryakumar Yadav from playing on the streets of Varanasi to the Captain of the Indian T20I side depicts tremendous struggle, talent, and innovation. His life story serves as a motivation for millions of budding cricketers all over the nation.
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