Suryakumar Yadav is not a part of ODI and Test teams. Despite his reputation as one of the most innovative players in T20 cricket, his form in the longer formats has failed to impress. With 773 runs from 37 ODIs at an average of 25.76 and just eight runs in his sole Test, Suryakumar concedes that these numbers may have cost him the opportunity to take over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma, which was instead awarded to Shubman Gill.

“Apne numbers itne bekaar hain ODI mein (My ODI record is really poor)! I was given plenty of chances around 25 to 30 matches and if I still couldn’t make the most of them, it clearly means something wasn’t right,” Suryakumar said in an interview with News 24 Sports.

Rohit Sharma stepped down from Test cricket earlier this year, shortly before India’s series against England. His exit paved the way for Shubman Gill to take over the captaincy in the format. Gill is also leading the Men in Blue in one-day internationals.

“Now that I think about it, if my ODI performances had been stronger — like how things are going in T20Is — I could have been in the running for ODI captaincy too. I didn’t consider it before, but it’s on my mind now. The game just lasts 30 overs more, the ball colour doesn’t change, and the jersey’s nearly the same. I’ll keep working hard and giving my all. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of,” Suryakumar admitted.

“At home, we often talk about this,” he said. “I tell my wife that if I had performed better in ODIs, things might have been different. When Rohit bhai stepped down from the ODI captaincy, no one knew who will take over. If you’re doing well, you can be a strong contender. But so far, I haven’t had that opportunity in ODI cricket.”