It was a straightforward question from his wife that pushed Suryakumar Yadav to work relentlessly for a spot in the national team. Now, as the captain of a World Cup-winning side, he credits his brutally honest wife, Devisha, for playing a pivotal role in shaping the person he is today.

The turning point came in 2018 when Devisha asked him a simple but powerful question: “If you want to play for India, how do you plan to do it?” Following that candid conversation eight years ago, Suryakumar Yadav captained India to a successful T20 World Cup defence.

“We got married in 2016 when I was still with KKR. Everything was going well, I was playing consistently and enjoying the game. She observed my journey and routines up until 2018 when I joined Mumbai Indians. I think that’s when we started approaching things a bit differently,” Suryakumar shared during a podcast interview with ‘PTI Videos’.

“She remarked that many of the players you played with in age-group cricket are now representing India. So, what’s your plan? I replied, ‘Mujhe bhi India khelna hai (I want to play for India too).’ Then she asked, ‘Kaise kheloge?’ (How do you plan to do it?).

“It wasn’t an argument, but a thoughtful conversation. It was about figuring out how I could push myself further in my pursuit. If I want to play for India and contribute to winning games for the country, how do I make that happen?” he recalled.

After deciding to take that crucial step toward achieving his ultimate goal, Suryakumar and Devisha had to make some tough life choices.

“We had to make several adjustments changes in diet, social circles, weekends, and even work schedule. We set things in motion, and in 2018, I had a fantastic IPL season (scoring 512 runs) along with strong performances in domestic cricket,” he explained.

“I got the opportunity to open for Mumbai Indians and managed to score runs. In 2019 and 2020, we continued with the same approach, and I was in a different mindset. She noticed how much I was enjoying the game even more. 2020 turned out to be even better (scoring 480 runs as a finisher), and then in 2021, I was picked for India,” Suryakumar concluded.

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