Suryakumar Yadav Recalls Spending First Rs 15,000 Salary

Suryakumar Yadav has recalled earning Rs 15,000 for his first Mumbai U-15 cricket tour and spending the entire amount on equipment as he did not have a bat sponsor at the time. The India T20 World Cup-winning captain discussed his early earnings in an interview with former India player Aakash Chopra.

Asked about the first money he made from cricket, Yadav said the Rs 15,000 payment covered the entire tour. He explained that buying equipment was a priority during that stage of his career, when he did not have sponsorship support for bats.

“I think it was 15,000 when I played U-15 for Mumbai for the first time. It was for the entire tour. I must have spent it. At that time, I did not have any bat sponsor, so I used to spend all my earnings on buying cricket equipment,” Yadav said.

Early Mumbai earnings and cricket equipment

The recollection offers a brief look at Yadav’s early route through Mumbai cricket, before his rise to the India side and captaincy in a T20 World Cup-winning campaign. According to the source, India have won three T20 World Cups: in 2007 under MS Dhoni, in 2024 under Rohit Sharma and in 2026 under Suryakumar Yadav.

Yadav’s comments centred on the practical demands of a young cricketer. Rather than treating the payment as disposable income, he said he used his earnings to purchase the equipment required to continue playing. The absence of a bat sponsor meant those costs had to be covered from his own cricket income.

The 35-year-old is currently navigating a difficult phase in his career, according to the report. It stated that he has lost his place in the national side a few months after leading India to their third T20 World Cup success, described as the team’s second consecutive title win.

The report also said that Yadav’s form had been considered in the decision, with persistent struggles with the bat and a difficult IPL campaign this year cited as part of the context. Despite that situation, Yadav said he remains focused on his work and hopes results will follow.

“Look, I’m putting in all the hard work and doing everything I can. If things go well, then everything will fall into place,” he said when asked about his plans to return to the India team.

Comeback remains dependent on domestic runs

Yadav remains a key part of Mumbai Indians’ batting line-up, while his most recent India appearances in Test and ODI cricket came in 2023, the report said. His immediate route back to the national setup is expected to depend on consistent performances in domestic cricket.

A report by ANI, citing sources, said Yadav has not been ruled out of contention. A BCCI source was quoted as saying that the door remains open, though he is not currently in the selection plans and would need to score consistently in domestic cricket to make a return.

For Yadav, the story of the Rs 15,000 Mumbai U-15 payment underlines the early investment behind his cricket journey. His current challenge is different: turning continued hard work and domestic performances into another opportunity with India.