Suryakumar Yadav has sustained an ankle injury that could rule him out for seven weeks in a major setback for India’s preparations for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Suryakumar, who has been India’s stand-in captain for their recently concluded T20I series against Australia and South Africa, has reportedly suffered a Grade-II tear in his ankle.
According to The Indian Express, Suryakumar’s ankle was scanned last week on his return to India from South Africa where he had twisted his ankle during the third T20I in Johannesburg. The extent of the injury means that he will now miss the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, which are the only remaining matches India have in the format before they play the T20 World Cup. It has to be noted, though, that the players will be active in the Indian Premier League (IPL) before the marquee tournament which is being hosted by the West Indies and the USA.
The incident occured in the third over of the South African innings. Suryakumar, who had scored his fourth T20I century earlier that day, rolled his ankle over while picking the ball up and throwing it after he ran after it. He was helped off the field by the physios and vice-captain Ravindra Jadeja ended up leading the team for the rest of the game. India won the match by a whopping 106 runs and Suryakumar was player of the match for his century. He was asked about the injury during the post-match presentation ceremony. “I am good. I am able to walk so it is not that serious,” he had said.
Suryakumar had been captaining the side in place of Hardik Pandya, who hadn’t recovered from an ankle injury he sustained during India’s match against Bangladesh in the 2023 World Cup. There is yet to be any indication as to whether Pandya can return in time for the series against Afghanistan, which is scheduled to start on January 11.
Suryakumar had been in imperious form on return to T20Is after the 2023 World Cup. He became the third Indian batter after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to score more than 2000 runs in the format. His century at the Wanderers against South Africa took him level with Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell for most tons in the format.
