In preparation for the domestic red-ball season ahead, which begins from September 5 onwards with the Duleep Trophy, and for a possible return to the Indian Test team, Suryakumar Yadav took the field in Coimbatore for Mumbai Cricket Association in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament against TNCA XI. However, on Day 1 of the match on Tuesday, the India star was mobbed by fans, who almost entered the ground during the middle of the home team's first innings.

Batters of TNCA XI had a field day in the opening innings of the match on Tuesday, with three of them getting to their half-century scores, before tail-ender Ajith Ram S joined the list on Day 2. The hosts comfortably went past the 350-run mark on Wednesday despite a five-wicket haul from Himanshu Singh and two-fers each from Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian.

During the first innings of the match on Tuesday, fans thronged the Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science ground in Coimbatore to watch India T20I captain Suryakumar in action. And while he was fielding near the boundary ropes, spectators almost entered the ground for selfies as the India batter warned them not to. However, he later obliged for pictures and autographs after the ground security found it difficult to manage the crowd. In fact, towards the end of the day's action, a group of school kids, who were present at the venue, ran inside the ground to get Suryakumar's autographs.

Suryakumar Yadav prepares for India Test return

Suryakumar made his Test debut for India in February 2023, in the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia at home in Nagpur. It remains his only appearance in the format. He was neither recalled for the World Test Championship final later that summer, nor for the tour of West Indies, before falling out of reckoning as a middle-order option amid the emergence of Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel.

However, he has been handed a second opportunity to script a return to the Indian side as the selectors named him for the upcoming Duleep Trophy tournament. The red-ball event will play a key role in Ajit Agarkar and his selection committee in picking the 15-member squad for the Bangladesh Test series next month.

“This format is a little challenging. You have to be one step ahead. You cannot bat like you do in a T20I match. But at the same time, intent is very important, including the body language you carry on to the ground. The thinking part of what needs to be done has to be done during the practice sessions. You cannot go to the game and think too much. What is in your control are the practice sessions and what you do until the start of the game. If you do well, stay humble. If you do not do well, go back to the basics and drawing board, start and come back again,” Surya told Indian Express ahead of his appearance in Buchi Babu tournament.

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