Ahead of the first T20I against South Africa in Durban, Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav said he is not overly concerned about his chances of rejoining the Indian Test squad, noting that if it’s meant to happen, it will. The young Indian side aims to continue their T20I dominance as they kick off their South African tour, which comprises four T20Is, starting with the opening match in Durban on Friday. His comments follow India’s 0-3 Test series whitewash at home to New Zealand, marking their first home series loss in 12 years and their first-ever whitewash.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Suryakumar remarked, “When the time comes, I will make a Test comeback. I am playing in all domestic tournaments, be it red-ball or white-ball. I don’t miss any games. If a Test comeback is meant to happen, it will.”

Although a regular in India’s white-ball setup, Suryakumar has played only one Test match – against Australia in 2023, scoring eight runs in his sole innings. In the same year, he was named as a reserve player in the ICC World Test Championship Final squad.

In 84 first-class games, Suryakumar has accumulated 5,656 runs at an average of 42.84, with 14 centuries and 29 fifties across 140 innings, his highest score being 200.

Suryakumar also commented on the balance required in sports, acknowledging that winning and losing are both part of the journey. He draws inspiration from Indian Test and ODI skipper Rohit Sharma for this quality.

“Whether Rohit is performing well or not, his character remains unchanged. That is a quality I believe every sportsman should have,” he added.

He dismissed concerns about the potential challenge of bouncy South African pitches, noting that Indian players are familiar with such conditions and have a strong T20I record in South Africa, with six wins and three losses.

“We play on good bouncy pitches in India as well, so it’s nothing new for us. We also played here last year and understand the conditions, the ground, and the wicket. We have our game plan, and we’re excited for the series ahead,” he concluded.

The second T20I will take place at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on November 10, followed by the third at SuperSport Park in Centurion on November 13. The series will conclude with the fourth T20I at Wanderers Stadium on November 15.

India’s T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.