Suryakumar Yadav reveals how wife and newborn daughter helped him after India snub

Winning a World Cup as captain should be one of the happiest moments in any cricketer's career.

But for Suryakumar Yadav, things took an unexpected turn after he led India to the 2026 T20 World Cup title.

The 36 year old was dropped from the national team following a prolonged struggle with the bat, despite guiding India to victory over New Zealand in the final on March 8.

And now, the former India captain has opened up about how difficult life became after losing his place in the team and how his wife Devisha Shetty and their newborn daughter helped him rediscover his love for cricket.

Speaking at a T20 Mumbai League event in Mumbai on Tuesday, Suryakumar admitted that the months following India's World Cup triumph had been challenging.

According to news agency PTI, he acknowledged that it had been a difficult period and stressed the importance of being honest with himself about his struggles.

However, something beautiful happened in his personal life during the IPL.

Suryakumar and Devisha welcomed a baby girl in May, and becoming a father gave him something else to focus on.

He revealed that his attention shifted completely towards his daughter, bringing happiness during an otherwise difficult period.

The Indian batter admitted that the first two months after his international setback were particularly challenging.

But gradually, he began thinking about his early cricketing days and the excitement he felt when he first dreamed of representing Mumbai.

That was when a conversation with Devisha helped him look at things differently.

Suryakumar revealed that his wife encouraged him to rediscover the passion he had as a 15 year old dreaming of playing for Mumbai.

Rather than worrying about his international future, she wanted him to remember why he fell in love with cricket in the first place.

Her advice helped him change his approach.

Suryakumar said he has returned to training with the same enthusiasm he had during his younger days.

The former India captain is now preparing to lead Mumbai in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which begins on November 14.

His immediate ambition is simple: help Mumbai win matches and lift another trophy.

He also encouraged young cricketers to dream of representing Mumbai and India rather than making an IPL contract their ultimate goal.

For a player who has experienced the incredible high of winning a World Cup and the disappointment of losing his India place within months, it has been quite a journey.

But thanks to his family, Suryakumar appears to have rediscovered something important.

The simple joy of playing cricket.