Surya

Kumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav Biography and Career

Suryakumar Yadav, a hard-hitter of the ball, is renowned for his explosive T20 batting and bold strokeplay. Born on September 14, 1990, in Mumbai, India, his journey from club cricket to captaining India’s T20I side is a story of persistence and determination.

Suryakumar Yadav has a great on-field personality - confident, innovative and fearless, often compared to AB de Villiers because of his 360-degree batting style. His method is to dominate bowlers with unconventional shots like lofted cover drives and ramp shots, making him a nightmare for opponents in T20 cricket.

For his 360-degree gameplay, Suryakumar Yadav received the nickname "SKY", which was given to him by his former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir found Yadav's full name, Suryakumar Yadav, too long to call and shortened it to "SKY".

SKY began his cricketing career with club cricket in Mumbai before he was selected for the Mumbai cricket team. Later, he made his List A debut for Mumbai in February 2010 before making his first-class and T20 debut in the same year.

In the 2011–12 Ranji Trophy season, Yadav scored the most runs for Mumbai. He scored 754 runs in nine games at an average of over 68. For his performance, he was selected for the Indian under-22 team and scored 721 runs at an average of more than 80 with two centuries. He was awarded the MA Chidambaram Trophy for the Best Under-22 cricketer by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Yadav also played a leadership role in his domestic career. During the 2014–15 Ranji Trophy season, he led the Mumbai team for a brief period before he was replaced midway into the tournament. In that season, he smashed 690 runs in 10 matches in the tournament. He was also part of the Mumbai team that won the 2015–16 Ranji Trophy. He was among the top five run-scorers in the season, scoring 788 runs and scoring three centuries.

Such stats, along with other achievements in his domestic career, opened the way for him to play in the Indian Premier League and the national team. While playing for his club cricket team - Parsi Gymkhana, Yadav scored 249 runs in the final against Payyade Sports Club in the Police Shield tournament in 2021. For this remarkable performance, he won the "Best Batsman of the Final" award and helped the club win the tournament for the first time since 1956.

Yadav's IPL debut did not go well; he played only one match for the Mumbai Indians in 2012, where he was dismissed without scoring. His debut lasted only a few minutes. However, he bounced back and consistently improved his performance. Today, he serves as the vice captain of the Mumbai Indians.

In the 2014 IPL auction, he was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for Rs 70 lakh. In that season, he scored 164 runs at an average of over 32 with KKR winning the title in his first season with the team. He spent four seasons with the team, scoring 608 runs in 54 matches.

In the 2018 IPL auction, he was bought back by the Mumbai Indians for Rs 3.2 crore. He was a prolific run-scorer for MI, scoring more than 1,400 runs in three seasons and winning the title with the team in the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He was retained for Rs 16.35 crore in the 2025 IPL auction. As of May 05, 162 games and scored 4,104 runs in IPL, including two centuries.

While SKY's international debut came late, at the age of 31 in a T20I against England on March 14, 2021, where he announced his arrival by hitting a six off the first ball of Jofra Archer, becoming the first Indian to do so in T20Is. His ODI debut came against Sri Lanka in July 2021 and he played his only Test match against Australia in 2023.

His sensational catch in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa was a defining moment, dismissing David Miller to turn the game in India's favour, cementing his legacy as a brilliant performer. SKY, who was appointed T20I captain in July 2024 after Rohit Sharma's retirement, has led India to series wins against Sri Lanka, South Africa and England.

His best year, 2022, saw him score 1,164 T20I runs, including two centuries, earning him the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year award for 2022 and 2023. In his T20I career, he has hit four centuries and 21 half-centuries, with 117 being his highest score.

Suryakumar Yadav's cricketing journey reflects resilience, going from being a late bloomer to a T20 icon, inspiring aspiring cricketers around the world.

Beyond Cricket

Off the field, Suryakumar Yadav is a family man with a zest for life. Married to Devisha Shetty since 2016, whom he met at R.A. Poddar College, SKY often shares heartwarming Instagram posts with her and their dogs, Oreo and Pablo. A Mumbai native, he lives in a luxurious Chembur apartment, which reflects his net worth of around Rs 55 crore, earned through IPL contracts and endorsements with brands such as Reebok, JioCinema, The Indian Garage Company, Boult Audio, UrbanGabru, Pintola and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance. His car collection, including Mercedes-Benz GLS, Nissan Jonga and more, reflects his love for luxury.

An active X user, he engages fans with match updates and quirky captions, earning praise for his reliability. His childhood passion for badminton gives a hint of his athletic versatility. SKY's down-to-earth personality and charitable efforts such as supporting local cricket camps make him a beloved figure beyond the field.

SuryaKumar Yadav Records
Suryakumar Yadav Test Records:

• Suryakumar Yadav has played 1 Test match, debuting against Australia in Nagpur on February 9, 2023. He has scored 8 runs in Test cricket, with an average of 8.00.
   

Suryakumar Yadav ODI Records:

• Suryakumar Yadav has played 37 ODI matches. He has scored 773 runs in ODIs at an average of 26.00. His highest ODI score is 72*, achieved against Australia.

Suryakumar Yadav T20I Records:

• He has scored 4 T20I centuries, the second-most by any batter, behind Glenn Maxwell and Rohit Sharma, who have hit five centuries.

• He became only the second Indian to score two centuries in T20Is in a calendar year after Rohit Sharma.

• He is the fastest batter to reach 1,000 T20I runs in terms of balls faced, achieving the milestone in 573 balls.

• He was the first Indian to hit a six off the first ball faced in a T20I, against England in 2021.

• In January 2023, he scored the second-fastest century by an Indian batter in T20Is, reaching the mark in 45 balls against Sri Lanka.

Suryakumar Yadav IPL Records:

• He was the first uncapped Indian to score 500+ runs in an IPL season, achieved in 2018.

• He is the Mumbai Indians’ third-highest run-getter in IPL history.

• He scored the first IPL century by a Mumbai Indians player against the Gujarat Titans in 2023.

• He won IPL titles with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 and Mumbai Indians in 2019 and 2020.

Suryakumar Yadav Other Formats:

• He has scored 14 centuries and 30 fifties in First-Class cricket, with a highest score of 200 against Odisha in the 2011-12 Ranji Trophy.

• He was the top scorer for Mumbai in the 2011-12 Ranji Trophy with 754 runs.

• He has scored 3 centuries and 21 fifties in List A cricket, with a highest score of 134*.

• He was among the top five run-getters in the 2016–17 Ranji Trophy season with 788 runs and scored three centuries, including a score of 115 in the second innings of the semifinal match against Madhya Pradesh.