‘How did you succeed in both ODI and T20I cricket?’ — Suryakumar Yadav reveals one question he’d ask South Africa legend AB de Villiers

Divy Dubey

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‘How did you succeed in both ODI and T20I cricket?’ — Suryakumar Yadav reveals one question he’d ask South Africa legend AB de Villiers image

India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has opened up about his ambitions to return to ODI cricket and the lessons he hopes to learn from one of his idols, AB de Villiers.

The 35-year-old admitted that while he has excelled in T20Is, finding the right rhythm in the 50-over format has been a struggle — something he wants to fix before it's too late.

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Having last played an ODI in the 2023 World Cup final, Suryakumar now wants to understand how players like de Villiers mastered both formats with such ease and consistency.

Suryakumar Yadav seeks AB de Villiers' advice to suceed in ODIs

Speaking on journalist Vimal Kumar's YouTube channel, Suryakumar revealed that he has not had an in-depth chat with de Villiers yet, but if given a chance, he knows exactly what he would ask.

"If I meet him soon, I want to ask him how he balanced his T20I and ODI game — because I haven't been able to do it," Suryakumar said.

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He added, "I thought ODIs should be played like T20Is. I want to know what he did to succeed in both formats. AB, if you are listening, please get in touch with me quickly. The next three to four years are very important for me, and I am really keen on playing ODI cricket too."

Suryakumar also admitted that his inability to adapt between formats was a major reason for his ODI omission, adding that de Villiers' all-format dominance continues to inspire him.

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Can Suryakumar Yadav play the 2027 ODI World Cup?

Suryakumar made his ODI debut in 2021 and has played 37 matches so far. Though he is currently focused on leading India's T20I side, his intent to return to 50-over cricket suggests he is not ruling out another shot at the format.

The next ODI World Cup is set for 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia — a timeline that gives Suryakumar nearly two years to rebuild his ODI credentials. If he can translate his T20 success into the longer white-ball format, a comeback is not out of the question.

As one of India's most innovative batters, his evolution across formats could well decide whether he features in that tournament.

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