India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has spoken publicly about his injury recovery, describing in detail the weeks he spent at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) before returning to lead the side in the Asia Cup.
In a video released by the BCCI on Tuesday, Suryakumar revealed that he was diagnosed with a sports hernia toward the end of the 2025 Indian Premier League. The pain in his lower abdomen felt familiar, he said, since he had gone through a similar issue the previous year.
“I tried a few checklists, tested a few things, and then I realized it’s time to go and do a small MRI,” Suryakumar explained. That scan confirmed the injury, which required him to begin a structured rehabilitation program.
At the CoE, Suryakumar followed a program tailored to his needs. “The most important thing for me is when you come here at CoE, or when I was at NCA last year, they understood how my body reacts to certain situations,” he said. “Accordingly they planned all the workouts.” The batter said that approach allowed him to focus on taking recovery “one week at a time.”
He described the center as “unbelievable,” particularly impressed by the sheer scale of it—the fact that they can work with over 30 athletes at once. He also made a point to say that physical recovery is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle.
“The most important thing during a rehab phase is to have good people around you who will guide you really well,” Suryakumar said. He added that he treated this as a chance to return stronger.
It’s one thing for the 34-year-old to be healthy for the Asia Cup; it’s another for him to be in the form of his life. His last IPL season for Mumbai Indians was something else entirely. He went on an absolute tear, piling up 717 runs in just 16 matches. The stats behind it are just ridiculous—an average over 65 and a strike rate touching 170.
In the process, he didn’t just break a franchise record; he broke a Sachin Tendulkar record, becoming the first player to ever score 700 runs for MI in a single season. Maybe the most mind-boggling part? He never failed. Every time he walked to the crease, he put at least 25 runs on the board.
Since taking over as India’s T20I captain after the 2024 World Cup, Suryakumar has pushed the team into uncharted scoring territory. India has repeatedly topped 250 runs under his leadership, while he himself maintains a strike rate above 167 in internationals with four centuries to his name.
The Asia Cup begins September 9 in Dubai, where India will open its campaign under Suryakumar’s captaincy. For fans and selectors alike, his recovery is more than welcome news.
