Suryakumar Yadav: Beyond the Boundary

General Information
Full Name	Suryakumar Ashok Yadav
Nickname	SKY, Lalu
Earned name in cricket	Mr. 360
Jersey number	#63 for India, #77 (for IPL, Mumbai Indians), #212 (for IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders)
Domestic/State Team	Right-hand batsman
International Junior Cricket teams	India Under 13India AIndia C
Coaches	Vinod Yadav Chandrashekhar Pandit HS Kamath Ashok Aswalkar
Batting Style	33 years (in January 2024)
PERSONAL LIFE
Birth date	14/09/1990
Age	Atomic Energy Junior College, Mumbai Pillai College of Arts,Commerce and Science,Mumbai
Birthplace	Hathora village,Ghazipur,UP
Zodiac sign	Virgo
Hometown	Mumbai
School	Video games, Watching and playing  Football, Swimming, Reading Books
College/University	Atomic Energy School, India
Education	Bachelor’s of Commerce
Religion	Hinduism
Caste	Kshatriya
Hobbies	Eden Gardens, Kolkata
FAMILY
Parents	Father – Ashok Kumar Yadav(chief engineer at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre)Mother – Sapna Yadav (housewife)
Wife	Devika Shetty
Sister	Dinal Yadav
Grandfather	Vikram Singh Yadav ( inspector in CRPF, he was honoured with President Police Medal in 1991)
FAVOURITES
Cricketer	Batsman -Rahul Dravid, Gautam Gambhir, Great Sachin TendulkarBowlers – Wasim Akram, Zaheer Khan
Cricket Ground	Eden gardens, Kolkata
Food	Biryani
Actor	Shah Rukh Khan
Actress	Deepika Padukone
Comedian	Sunil Grover
Singer	Sonu Nigam, Arijit Singh
Football team	Manchester City, FC Barcelona
Footballers	Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Cristiano Ronaldo
Net worth	32 crores

Early Sparks in the Streets of Mumbai

The cricketing adventure of Suryakumar Yadav started way back on September 14, 1990. Rising from the lively streets of Mumbai, his natural talent started sparkling out from his earliest years. His journey is a tale of passion and rigorous hard work, enough to motivate any young mind who is hesitating to dream big.

In his early childhood years, Suryakumar Yadav was living in a small village of Ghazipur district with his parents. From these initial years, he showed a keen interest in sports like badminton and cricket. His father identified his innate talent and with the help of his paternal uncle Vinod Kumar, he started his practice at Varanasi. 

Later, his father moved to Mumbai with his family to work as a chief engineer at BARC(Bhabha Atomic Research Centre). Finally, the talent of Suryakumar found a solid foundation at the cricket camp in the BARC colony in Chembur under the esteemed guidance of his coach Ashok Aswalkar, who was working in his father’s department. 

Under the guidance of Ashok Aswalkar in central Mumbai, Suryakumar, known affectionately as Surya, boldly declared his ambition of playing for the Indian cricket team. Surya may not have had the same degree of talent or scoring prowess as some of his colleagues at the time, but Aswalkar, who has been developing young players for nearly three decades, recognized his reckless attitude. Once Ashok made a remark to Surya’s father that he would at least reach the Ranji level. 

Suryakumar’s journey from BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre) to the Mumbai maidans and, eventually, to the heights of the IPL as “SKY” with Kolkata Knight Riders and later Mumbai Indians has demonstrated his unrelenting dedication and grit.

Domestic Sojourn

Sooner, the game of Suryakumar Yadav started drawing the attention of professionals, which led to the transition of the journey from the local tournament pitches to the technical grand stages of domestic cricket. In the very debut game of his career, Suryakumar Yadav remarked on his intentions by scoring a debut century in the season of 2010-11 for Mumbai against Delhi. 

No one could have imagined the storm of runs that was about to come from the bat of Suryakumar, even after the signal he gave in the debut match. He became the top run scorer for the Mumbai Team, scoring 754 runs in 9 matches, including a double-century. 

Be it the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, or Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he was delivering his remarkable performances. His ability to adapt to different formats and consistently deliver match-winning contributions earned him a reputation as one of the most reliable and entertaining batsmen on the Indian domestic circuit. 

He became the captain of Mumbai for a brief period in the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy. Surya always had issues controlling his anger and due to this hot-headedness, he was removed from the position of captain in the subsequent Ranji Trophy tournament. Sooner, IPL franchises started noticing this spectacular talent and that was when the Mumbai Indians signed him up for the 2012 Indian Premier League for the first time.

Being an unconventional player with hard-hitting skills, Surya continued playing for the Club cricket as well. In the final of the Police Shield Cricket Club tournament, he played a spectacular innings of 249 runs which led to the first tournament win of Parsi Gymkhana since 1956 and him winning the best batsman of the final award.

One of the defining moments of his domestic career came in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy season, where he led Mumbai’s charge with the bat, breaking record after record with runs at a prolific rate. In the success of the Mumbai campaign, he was their main lead who proved to be consistent during the whole campaign. Although building a lot of runs at the domestic level, Yadav earned his international debut fairly late, in the thirties. 

Indian Premier League: A Pivotal Turning Point

Suryakumar Yadav’s destiny took a decisive turn when he was acquired by the vibrant blue army of the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL). It was 2012 when he first stepped front into the massive short-format league. 

Despite being in the starting eleven for a match, he rarely got a chance to play for the squad since he was overshadowed by cricketers such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard. The team released him the following season. But he had no intentions to stop scoring big.

In the Ranji Trophy of 2013-14, he was the leading scorer for the team Mumbai, which made it impossible for the IPL franchises to ignore this gifted talent. In the same year’s IPL auction, KKR signed Suryakumar Yadav for ₹70 lakh. He made waves in IPL 2015 when he smashed a stunning and match-winning 20-ball 46 with five sixes against the Mumbai Indians, overshadowing Rohit Sharma’s exquisite 98. 

He became an integral part of Kolkata Knight Riders, remaining for almost 4 years with the team. During his tenure, he became the vice-captain of KKR. His aggressive performances started gaining the attention of cricket lovers, and it was during this time that our champ got the title of SKY for the first time. 

His playing technique and the integral role he played in the middle order made Mumbai Indians once again acquire him in the auction of 2018. This time the deal was signed for a whopping 3.2 crores. 

Suryakumar Yadav’s best performance came in the 2018 IPL season where he emerged as the Mumbai Indians’ middle-order key component. His ability to firmly establish the innings and play aggressive but planned strokes earned him respect from cricket experts and fans alike. His consistency, versatility, and knack for playing crucial innings in high-pressure situations turned him into a valuable asset for the team.

His performance continued to evolve to date. In the mega auctions of IPL 2022 Mumbai Indians retained him with a contract of Rs 8 crores. Suryakumar Yadav’s IPL 2023 runs are a testament to his hard work. The start to the tournament was a little sluggish for him but by the end of Suryakumar Yadav’s IPL 2023, season, his scorecard comprised a total of 605 Runs with a strike rate of 181 and an average of 59.88. 

During his time with the Mumbai Indians, his technique improved considerably due to the high exposure he was getting. His confidence grew as he scored for a team that he always dreamed of. This led to drawing the attention of the Indian Cricket team selectors committee. It became impossible to ignore the polished skills of Suryakumar Yadav, by simply saying he was not consistent because he was scoring big totals consistently and aggressively. The IPL became a pivotal chapter in his career, setting the stage for a more significant role on the international stage.

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International career

It took a long while for Suryakumar to step foot into an international match. But as soon as he got an opportunity, he made sure that he made the best of it. After almost 13 years of playing domestic cricket, Surya debuted for India In a T20 Cricket match versus England in March of 2021. He received his first opportunity to bat in the fourth match of the series. Without waiting for a moment he struck the very first ball he faced in international cricket for a six, and became the first Indian to do so in a T20 International. He scored 53 runs on 27 balls in that match and thus earned the player of the match award. There was no stopping of Surya’s furious batting from here onwards.

The way he was consistently delivering match-winning innings, it was sure to everyone that he was going to be the backbone of the Indian middle order from here. First Suryakumar Yadav’s century came in his 19th match where he made 117 runs in just 55 balls in a pressure situation against England. This was not enough for him, in a single year he made 3 centuries and became the third Indian batsman to achieve this milestone. 

Career Stats

Format	Matches	Innings	Not Outs	Runs	High Score	Average	Strike Rate	100s	50s	4s	6s
Tests	1	1	0	8	8	8.00	40.00	0	0	1	0
ODIs	37	35	5	773	72*	25.76	105.02	0	4	80	19
T20 Internationals	60	57	10	2141	117	45.55	171.55	4	17	192	123
FC	82	137	8	5628	200	43.62	63.75	14	29	801	56
List A	139	126	18	3627	134*	33.58	104.37	3	21	358	106
T20s	270	247	51	6969	117	35.55	152.09	5	46	697	76

Achievements 

• Suryakumar Yadav comes 2nd when it comes to winning the most T20 internationals Player of the Match award. He has won 14 Player of the Match awards while Virat Kohli being on top has won just one more than Surya. 

• He has the record of scoring the most runs in a single T20 international match by batting position. 

• Suryakumar Yadav scored the second-highest number of centuries in T20 internationals lagging behind Rohit Sharma by just one century. Surya has scored 4 centuries while Rohit has scored 5 to date. 

• He comes at number 4 when it comes to having the highest career batting average in the T20 international with an average of 45.55.

Suryakumar Yadav’s Family

• Who is Suryakumar Yadav’s wife?

Suryakumar Yadav’s wife, Devisha Shetty, was born into an upper-class South Indian family in Mumbai, Maharashtra. From 2013 to 2015, she volunteered for the non-governmental organization ‘The Lighthouse Project’. She is also an exceptional dancer who began her career as a dance instructor in Mumbai. Aside from that, her hobbies include baking and cooking. 

• How did Suryakumar Yadav and Devisha Shetty meet?

Suryakumar Yadav’s wife, Devisha Shetty, and he both attended R. A. Podar College of Commerce & Economics in Mumbai in 2012, where they first met. Suryakumar’s brilliant batting bowled her over, but her dance skills won him over right away.

• When did Suryakumar Yadav get married?

On May 29, 2016, the couple got engaged in front of their closest family members. Devisha took to Instagram (@devishashetty_) to share the good news with her followers and cricket fans. The couple later married the same year, on July 7th. Following all of the conventional South Indian wedding procedures, the couple married in front of close relatives and friends in a low-key ceremony.

The pair now lives happily with their pets and frequently shares adorable moments with their admirers and followers on various social media networks. Devisha also had her husband’s name tattooed on her back. The couple has also been spotted visiting gatherings together and enjoying each other’s company.

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Controversies 

• Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli clash during an IPL 2020 league match. RCB’s skipper kept chatting to Suryakumar throughout MI’s chase, but SKY kept his cool and did not answer, remaining unblemished as his team romped to win.

Suryakumar Yadav described Kohli as “electrifying” on the field, going hard at any batsman up against him.

“It’s not just me, he goes hard at any batsman batting against him,” Suryakumar Yadav remarked of Kohli.

• In the Ranji Trophy tournament of 2014-15, Surya was made the captain of the Mumbai team. He always had a problem keeping himself calm and controlling his anger. During a match, Surya got into a fight with his own teammate Shardul Thakur just because of a disagreement on the type of field setup needed. Warnings were given to both players after the match by Mumbai Cricket Association. Later, Surya was removed from the captainship position due to his aggressive, hotheaded nature at that time. 

Tattoos

He is trendy not just in his batting manner, but also in how he displays his elaborate tattoos, which reveal much about his style and fashion sense. Let’s discuss about the many tattoos he has!

1. Suryakumar Yadav has a tattoo of his parents’ faces on his right shoulder.

2. Suryakumar Yadav’s right forearm is inscribed with an Ambigram that includes his parents’ names.

3. Life Quotes on Left Forearm – He inked “Life is what you make it” on his left forearm.

4. Tribal Tattoo – He got a tribal tattoo on his left arm, chest, and upper back.

5. Suryakumar Yadav has the words “Take one step at a time” inscribed on his left foot.

6. SKY etched a tattoo with the words “love, pride, and respect” on his left arm.

7. When he visited New Zealand, he learned about the Maori Face Tattoo. The Maori Face Tattoo covers his entire left upper body. However, he researched the meaning, family culture, and background before getting it tattooed.

8. He tattooed his wife’s name, ‘Devisha,’ beneath his Maori face tattoo. 

9. He also has an FAITH tattoo on his left shoulder.

10. The Arrow tattoo on his right arm symbolizes power, accomplishment, achievements, direction, and path.

11. Rose tattoo on his right forearm – The rose tattoo represents new beginnings, true love, feelings, passion, mature love, and protection against an envious lover.

12. The diamond tattoo on his right forearm represents luxury, riches, prosperity, power, and authority.

13. The ‘Nautical Star’ tattoo on his right arm represents direction, freedom, guidance, hope, and intuition.

14. He has a symbol tattoo on the left side of his neck.

15. His right forearm bears a cluster of tattoos.

Rich Lavish Lifestyle 

Suryakumar Yadav leads a wealthy lifestyle that includes fine timepieces, fancy automobiles, an expensive apartment in the city, and other luxury items.

A luxurious flat in Mumbai.

The right-handed explosive batter owns a luxurious Chembur residence where he lives with his wife Devisha Shetty and two cats, Pablo and Oreo. The couple chose a white, beige, and brown colour scheme for their high-rise residence. The residence has a large balcony that provides a stunning view of the Mumbai skyline.

Travelling across the world

Despite his career responsibilities, Yadav makes time to visit new exotic locations with his wife Devisha Shetty. A browse through their Instagram will transport you to some of the most expensive and gorgeous destinations in the world.

A collection of premium rides

Suryakumar Yadav’s impressive automobile collection is, unsurprisingly, the pride of his garage. From a Porsche 911 Turbo S to a Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, an Audi RS 5, and a Nissan Jonga, Yadav has spent a significant portion of his fortune buying these popular vehicles.

Need for speed

Suryakumar Yadav, like many other cricketers, has a few pricey bikes in his garage. The petrolhead has two sports bikes: a BMW S 1000 RR and a Suzuki Hayabusa.

Multiple sources of income

Suryakumar Yadav’s net worth is believed to be Rs 32 crore. Apart from his multi-crore contracts with the BCCI (Grade B – Rs 3 crore per year) and the IPL team Mumbai Indians (Rs 8 crore per season), Yadav also makes crores from brand sponsorships. According to DNA, Yadav charges between Rs 60 and 70 lakh as an endorsement fee for a single brand.

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