Sources from the BCCI report that NCA has reached out to Surya Kumar Yadav. Due to a thigh injury, the aggressive batsman Suryakumar Yadav won’t be able to play in the T20 series against Afghanistan. He recently sustained this injury during the concluded series against South Africa. The T20 series against Afghanistan is scheduled to commence on January 11. According to PTI news agency, Surya might consider making a comeback to cricket in the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai in February to assess his fitness before the IPL.
BCCI insiders reveal that the 31-year-old Surya Kumar Yadav is under rehabilitation at the NCA. There are possibilities that he might be fit in about six weeks, which means he might not be ready for the T20 series against Afghanistan. The T20 series against Afghanistan is set to begin in three weeks. Therefore, the chances of him being fit for the series are quite slim. In the meantime, he could participate in the Ranji Trophy matches before the IPL.
With Hardik Pandya also facing uncertainties due to a back injury, the national selectors might consider Rohit Sharma for the team captaincy in their absence. If Ishan Kishan is also unavailable for the series against Afghanistan, Jitesh Sharma could be given a chance.
The NCA medical team has estimated that it might take about six weeks for Surya Kumar Yadav to recover fully. This timeline indicates that the possibility of him being fit for the T20 series against Afghanistan is quite low. The T20 series against Afghanistan is scheduled to begin in three weeks, while the IPL is slated to start after that.
It will be interesting to see who leads the team in the absence of both Surya and Hardik. BCCI sources suggest that Rohit Sharma could be asked to lead the team. If he declines, Ravindra Jadeja might be appointed captain for the T20 series against Afghanistan. However, considering Jadeja’s workload, the board needs to be cautious. There are concerns about Ruturaj Gaikwad’s finger injury as well, and the chances of him recovering in time are uncertain. Shreyas Iyer is also being considered as a captaincy option.
