Suryakumar Yadav Looks in Sublime Touch at the Nets ahead of 1st T20I vs Sri Lanka | WATCH

Newly appointed vice-captain of the Indian men’s T20 team Suryakumar Yadav looked in sublime touch, smashing some amazing hits during the first practice session at Wankhede Stadium ahead of the first T20I of the series against Sri Lanka.

The flamboyant batter, who rose to prominence in white-ball cricket in 2022, has been rewarded by the selection committee for his commendable performances as he was appointed the vice-captain of the T20 side.

The BCCI posted a video of Suryakumar practicing at Wankhede Stadium, where he can be seen hitting some spectacular shots in the nets.

The video captioned: “A new year A new start A new Vice-captain — @surya_14kumar- for the Sri Lanka T20I series TeamIndia had their first practice session here at Wankhede Stadium ahead of the T20I series opener in Mumbai.”

India will look to avenge their Asia Cup loss against reigning Asian champions Sri Lanka when they take the field for the T20 series opener here at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.

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On the eve of the series opener, stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya complimented his vice-captain, saying going forward Suryakumar could be a vital cog in all three formats of the game.

Surya recently expressed his intention to play Test cricket, saying he always dreamt of playing red-ball cricket for the country. He is also among a very few current India players who have played a Ranji Trophy game this season. The Mumbai batter scored an entertaining 80-ball 90 in his first Ranji game in nearly three years, in December last year.

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Pandya said Suryakumar has the knack to alter the complexion of the game and that he is the “most important player” for the team management.

“I have said in the past for Surya that he played international cricket late. I was always keen from 2020 for him to be a part of the Indian team. But, unfortunately, he was not. So, God gave him what he did not get in the past. He played late but, yes, he got exactly what he would have got earlier as well,” Pandya said.

“I can only wish all the best and I hope he continues the run for the Indian team and flourishes more in life and scores more runs. For me and my side, Surya has been fantastic,” said Pandya during a press conference on Monday.

Pandya revealed that he would be relying heavily on SKY T20I series against Sri Lanka, saying everyone knows his utility in white-ball cricket.

“Going ahead, he is very important for all the formats and I feel in red ball as well. He has the game to kind of change the momentum and the situation if he comes in. I’m sure that the selectors and the captain are looking at him as well.

“In white ball, everyone knows, I don’t need to tell how important he is. For us, as captain, for the management, he is our most important player. We want him to flourish more,” added Pandya.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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