India snub hit hard, but Suryakumar is rediscovering love, passion for cricket

Dropped after leading India to T20 World Cup glory, Suryakumar Yadav endured a difficult few months away from the national side. The former captain has now rediscovered his passion for cricket and is eager to lead Mumbai in the SMAT.Suryakumar Yadav said that he has found the passion for the game once again. (AP Photo)Being dropped from the team you once led is never easy. Finding the motivation to pick yourself up and fight your way back can be even harder. For Suryakumar Yadav, the blow was particularly painful. He had captained India to a successful T20 World Cup title defence, only to find himself out of the national setup a few months later.A prolonged lean patch with the bat eventually cost him his place in the side. The BCCI decided to move on from the former skipper ahead of the England tour, with Shreyas Iyer taking over the leadership responsibilities.The fall from being at the helm of a World Cup-winning side to watching from the sidelines took its toll. But Suryakumar is now beginning to find his feet again, rediscovering the love and passion that first drew him towards the game.Speaking to the media at a T20 Mumbai League Celebrating the Champions event, as quoted by PTI, the former India captain admitted that the period following India's World Cup triumph had been particularly challenging. "Post the T20 World Cup win it has been a little difficult. I don't want to run away from that fact. If you are not honest with yourself, it is very difficult to lead a happy life," Suryakumar said during a T20 Mumbai League Celebrating the Champions event here.However, life away from the cricket field brought him a new source of happiness. Suryakumar revealed that becoming a father earlier this year helped him shift his attention away from the disappointment of losing his place in the Indian team. "To be very honest, it (not being part of the team) has been very difficult. But at the same time, during the IPL, I was blessed with a baby girl in May. The focus shifted completely towards her. The last few months, since she was born, have been very beautiful," he said.With time, the Mumbai batter began to turn his attention back to cricket. Rather than dwell on his international setback, he started looking towards the very things that had fuelled his journey from the beginning. And now, with 113 T20I appearances behind him, he is hoping there is still more to come in India colours."The first two months, though, were very difficult. But then I thought, why not go back to thinking about how I was before?"How I started my cricket all I used to think about was playing age-group cricket for Mumbai and eventually representing Mumbai in First-Class cricket," he said.BACK TO NORMALThe road to rediscovery was not a journey Suryakumar undertook alone. The 36-year-old revealed that a conversation with his wife, Devisha Shetty, proved to be an important turning point. Her advice was simple: go back to the mindset of the teenager who dreamed of representing Mumbai and playing the game he loved."I sat down and thought about all these things and started chatting with my wife. She said the same thing - I needed to bring back the love and passion for the game that I had when I was a 15-year-old kid, who wanted to represent Mumbai in Under-15 cricket," Suryakumar said.That message appears to have struck a chord. Instead of allowing his India setback to define him, Suryakumar has returned to the basics, focusing on training, enjoying the game and finding his competitive edge again."So, that's what I started thinking about, and I am now following the same things I did 10-15 years ago. I am training again, following the same passion and the same love for the game."Everything is back to normal now. When you start thinking about it and focus on playing this sport, you want to do well for your team and your family. Things change completely, and that's what I am doing right now."The main goal is what I used to think about before, win games for Mumbai and win the championship for Mumbai," he added.For Suryakumar, the opportunity to put that renewed mindset into practice is not far away. He is set to lead Mumbai in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with the domestic T20 competition offering him a platform to make a statement.A strong campaign could put him back in the selectors' conversations, but for now, his immediate focus appears to be much simpler. The man who once dreamed of playing for Mumbai as a 15-year-old is back to chasing that same joy.And perhaps that is the most important first step in his journey back.- Ends