India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has not given up hopes of adding to his lone Test cap, insisting that he is trying to play as much domestic cricket as possible in a bid to make a comeback into the Test side.
Suryakumar played his first and only Test against Australia in early 2023, and while his T20I credentials have grown, a Test call-up has remained elusive. The 34-year-old is trying to rectify that. He played a Ranji Trophy game for Mumbai last month and had turned out for India B in a Duleep Trophy fixture in September, though without much success.
"When the time comes, I will make a Test comeback," Suryakumar said ahead of India's first T20I against South Africa in Durban. "I am playing all the domestic tournaments, be it red-ball or white-ball. I don't miss any game. If that [Test comeback] has to happen, it will happen."
Suryakumar also threw his weight behind the Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma, who has been under fire after India were whitewashed 3-0 for the first time in a Test series at home by New Zealand.
"In sports, winning and losing are common. Everyone works hard, everyone wants to win," he said. "For me, the most important thing in life is the balance. Whether he's [Rohit] doing well or not, his character does not change. That is one quality which I feel a sportsman should always have."
It is still early days for Suryakumar the T20I captain who took over full-time after Rohit's retirement from the format post India's T20 World Cup win in June. Having played under Rohit for India and in the IPL for Mumbai Indians, Suryakumar said that he has "learned a lot" from him, particularly the way he handles the youngsters, a trait he's trying to imbibe into his captaincy style.
"I know how he [Rohit] treats the players, what he wants from them. So that route I have also taken because he's been very successful recently," Suryakumar said. "When I am on the ground, I keep noticing how his body language is, how calm he is under pressure situations, how he talks to the bowlers, how he treats everyone on the field and off the field.
"Most importantly, from a leader you expect how much time he is spending with you to have that comfort. I try to replicate that. When I am not on the ground, I try and spend time with my team-mates, have a meal with them, travel together.
"These are the small things which reflect on the ground. If you want to earn your team-mate's respect and if you want him to deliver on the ground, all these things are very important. I add a bit of my own spice, and we are going forward."
While the sample size is small, India have achieved terrific results under Suryakumar, having won 11 out of 13 T20Is, which includes series sweeps against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Suryakumar also has the experience of leading in South Africa, having captained the Indian side last year in a three-match T20I series which ended 1-1 with the game in Durban washed out.
Suryakumar said that his captaincy style is completely different to his aggressive batting style, and that he tries to give his players plenty of "freedom and clarity".
"You have to understand what's happening around, what's going on in their [the players'] minds and it is very important to give them that comfort," he said. "Everyone has different skillset, and they also want to come out and express themselves. So that freedom is very important when they get onto the field and that is what I try and give.
"Whatever is running in their mind, I listen to them carefully. Off the field, I try and spend a lot of time with them to understand their strengths, who can deliver for me in a pressure and current situation, and that's how I am on the field.
"See this format is such that if you keep playing, you keep learning and it's so fast on the field. By the time you blink your eye, the game is over. So that freedom and clarity is very important when you play this format on the field."
'The youngsters have made my job very easy'
India have opted for a young T20I squad for the three-match series against South Africa, with three uncapped players in the mix: Vijaykumar Vyshak, Ramandeep Singh and Yash Dayal. Even among the capped ones, there are a few who either don't have a lot of international experience or are making a comeback after a while such as Tilak Varma.
Suryakumar said that managing the youngsters hasn't been difficult as they have been doing the job for their state teams and IPL franchises.
"They have made my job very easy if you've seen the last two to three series," Suryakumar said about the youngsters. "I have told them to keep the needs of the team in front, and whatever calls they take, we are here to back them.
"Everyone knows what they have to do. The kind of cricket they play for their state, the franchise, the same they have to play here. Just the colour of the jersey changes and the emotions get heightened. But the kind of cricket they have been playing, they should just play the same way. It feels refreshing to see them play."
Suryakumar also quashed any theories that India would struggle on the bouncy South Africa pitches, insisting they play on such surfaces at home as well. India have an excellent T20I record in South Africa, with six wins and three losses in nine matches.
"We do play on good bouncy pitches back home in India also. There are quite a few, so it's nothing new for us," he said. "And we played here last year. We know what the conditions are and what the ground and wicket have for us. We have our game plan, we'll back that and are very excited for the series ahead."