Suryakumar narrates how Ravi Shastri broke news of India debut: 'First punch dena unko'

Indian batsman Suryakumar Yadav recently recalled how former India head coach Ravi Shastri broke the news of his international debut. Yadav, in an interview with ESPNcricinfo, revealed that he was having lunch with his wife when Shastri called and asked him to come near the pool at the hotel, where he broke the news of his debut to him. Yadav said Shastri informed him that he was going to play and also asked him to be aggressive and land the first punch to the opposition.  

SKY recalls how former India coach Shastri broke news of India debut

"On the day of the game he called me and he was like: 'Do the things you do, don't think too much, attack. First punch dena unko' [Land the first punch]. I said: 'Yes sir, I'll try and do that.' It was really motivating to hear that on the day of the game. I don't know what impact it would have made if he had told me before game day, but it was in the afternoon. I was having lunch and he called me and said, 'You are playing today, you are making your debut.' I was like, 'Wow, this is the day I have been waiting for'," Yadav said. 

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Yadav's international debut & his rise to success

Yadav made his international debut in a T20I game against England in 2021. He did not get an opportunity to bat in his first match as another debutant in the form of Ishan Kishan helped India chase down the total alongside Virat Kohli. In his next game, when he finally got the chance, Yadav scored 57 runs off just 31 balls and helped India post a mammoth total of 185 runs on the board. 

Yadav also stayed true to his promise and hooked the first ball he faced in his international innings for a six. He smashed England speedster Jofra Archer over the deep backward square leg boundary to collect the maximum. His knock was made up of six boundaries and three sixes, which he scored with a strike rate of 183.87. India eventually won the game by 8 runs and Yadav was named the player of the match.  

Since his debut, Yadav has played a total of 35 T20I games for India and has scored 1060 runs, including one century and nine half-centuries. The 32-year-old has an average of 37.85 and an impressive strike rate of 176.37. He is currently the world's No. three-ranked T20I batter and has the best strike rate among players from ICC full member nations. 

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Image: PTI