Shock to Suryakumar Yadav, out till February; Shock to India’s T20 World Cup preparations

New Delhi: In a major blow to India’s T20 World Cup preparations, stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav will be out of action till February after the recently concluded T20I series against Australia and South Africa. The dynamic player suffered a Grade-II ankle injury during the third T20I against South Africa, putting his participation in the crucial three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in jeopardy.

The ankle injury was discovered after Suryakumar returned to India, revealing the extent of the damage suffered during the Johannesburg match. This unfortunate development means that Yadav will be sidelined for approximately seven weeks, ruling him out of the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan. Notably, these matches represent India’s final T20 fixtures before the eagerly awaited T20 World Cup hosted by West Indies and USA.

The incident that caused Yadav’s injury occurred in the third over of the South African innings. Despite scoring a remarkable fourth T20I century earlier that day, he twisted his ankle while fielding, ultimately requiring assistance from a physio. Vice-captain Ravindra Jadeja took over the leadership for the remainder of the match, where India won by an impressive 106 runs. Yadav was given the Player of the Match award for his brilliant century.

Addressing the injury during the post-match presentation, Suryakumar Yadav downplayed its severity, saying, “I am good. I am able to walk, so it is not that serious.” However, subsequent clinical evaluations revealed a grade-II tear, necessitating an increased recovery period.

Suryakumar Yadav took over the captaincy role in place of Hardik Pandya, who is recovering from an ankle injury sustained during India’s 2023 World Cup campaign. As the cricket world awaits updates on Pandya’s availability, there is uncertainty over his return for the series against Afghanistan starting on January 11.

The setback comes at a time when Suryakumar Yadav has been showing tremendous form, becoming the third Indian batsman after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to cross 2000 runs in the T20 format. His century against South Africa at the Wanderers not only exemplified his skill but also brought him level with Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell for most centuries in the format.

As India recovers from the setback, the focus has now shifted to the team’s ability to adapt and strategize without Yadav’s on-field contributions. With the T20 World Cup around the corner, the absence of a key player poses challenges that Team India will have to overcome to maintain their competitive edge on the global stage.