Suryakumar Yadav, right, holds the T20 World Cup trophy as he celebrates with his wife Devisha (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav has revealed how a simple yet “brutally honest” question from his wife Devisha in 2018 became the turning point of his career, pushing him to chase his long-held dream of playing for the country.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Suryakumar said the conversation came at a time when his career was stable but lacked direction. “We got married in 2016 when I was still playing for KKR. Everything was going very smooth. I was playing well, enjoying it,” he said, recalling the moment during a podcast with PTI. “But in 2018, she asked me — ‘A lot of players from your age group are playing for India, what do you have in mind?’ I said, ‘Mujhe bhi India khelna hai.’ Then she asked, ‘Kaise kheloge?’”

That question, he admits, forced him to introspect. “It wasn’t an argument, it was a discussion about how to take one extra step forward. If I want to play for India and win games, how do I do it?” he said, describing it as a defining moment.What followed was a series of disciplined lifestyle changes. “We had to cut down on a lot of things — diet, friend circles, weekends. We treated it like a Monday-to-Friday job,” Suryakumar explained. The results were immediate. A prolific IPL 2018 season, followed by consistent performances in 2019 and 2020, eventually led to his India debut in 2021.Suryakumar credited Devisha as a constant pillar of support who shaped his mindset off the field. “She has been a big influence behind the scenes, telling me honest things. Sometimes it was brutal, but it helped. If I am where I am today, those conversations have gone a long way,” he said.Importantly, her guidance extended beyond cricket. “She didn’t give cricketing advice but helped me with life — how to approach situations and carry myself,” he added. She also ensured he remained grounded. “At home, you are not Suryakumar Yadav. Leave cricket outside. Stay humble — even small things like keeping your plate in the sink matter.”

Suryakumar Yadav plays peacemaker in Arshdeep Snigh-Daryl Mitchell scuffle

NEW DELHI: India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has shared that he personally apologised to Daryl Mitchell after an on-field incident involving Arshdeep Singh during the recent World Cup final. His main aim, he said, was to show the right kind of leadership and sportsmanship.

What happened during the match

The moment took place when Arshdeep threw the ball, and it accidentally struck Mitchell on his thigh pads. The incident didn’t go down well, especially since Arshdeep didn’t apologise immediately. This led to Mitchell confronting him, and the situation had to be calmed down by Suryakumar and the umpires.Because of the act, Arshdeep was fined 15% of his match fee and also received a demerit point from the ICC. Despite the tension, things settled later. Arshdeep apologised publicly after the match, and both players shook hands once the game ended. India went on to win comfortably by 96 runs and retained the trophy.

Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership approach

Talking about the incident later, Suryakumar downplayed the seriousness, saying such things can happen in the heat of the moment.“Heat of the moment mein kabhi kabhi ho jaata hai (It happens in the heat of the moment sometimes). At that time, you don’t fully understand what is happening. But later, I told paaji, that this is not how it happens. He then spoke to Mitchell, and it was a light moment,” he told PTI Videos.However, he made it clear that as a captain, he felt responsible for setting the right example on the field. That’s why he personally went to Mitchell to apologise, regardless of whether the act was intentional or not.“He took it in his stride. But it was very important for me to go and tell Daryl Mitchell myself, because as a leader, what example you set on the ground, that is also also very important,” he added.“So I went and told him (Mitchell) the same thing, if Arshdeep did it deliberately, then I am sorry. And even if he did not do it deliberately, I am sorry.”

Arshdeep’s apology

After the match, Arshdeep also addressed the incident and clarified that there was no intention behind the throw.“Just want to apologise to Mitchell. My throw reverse-swung and hit him so just wanted to say sorry to him for that. It was not intentional,” he had said.

India No. 1 Sumit Nagal in action during the ATP Challenger tournament in Pune.

New Delhi: Sumit Nagal had just stepped off the court after playing his first-round match at the ATP Challenger in Delhi. He went past Spain’s David Jorda Sanchis in straight sets and posed for selfies with a handful of kids who had patiently waited for the match to end. Having spent an hour and 28 minutes on the court, Nagal rushed to the locker room to perform his cool-down exercises and emerged looking fresher about an hour later.

As Delhi’s winter chill gave way to the heat in the second week of February, Nagal spoke briefly with his coach Sascha Nensel, while seated near the pool at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) complex.One of the topics, perhaps, would have been how he felt physically on the court. The shots, for the most part, looked good. Nagal struck 14 winners, converted two of three break points and was more accurate than his opponent: 20 unforced errors to Sanchis’s 38. There was a drop in intensity, he admitted, which made him sloppy.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The 28-year-old ended his 2025 season early and spent 5-6 weeks in the pre-season focusing on multiple things, but being physically fit, under the watchful eye of his fitness trainer Milos Galecic, was pivotal.“If I could change my body, I would do it like this,” he said with a snap of his fingers. “It’s really frustrating. It’s really annoying. It’s been really tough. I don’t know what to say, honestly,” added Nagal, to TimesofIndia.com, with irritation palpable in his words.

Sumit Nagal in action during the ATP Challenger in Delhi.

Nagal knows the frustration of injuries all too well. He underwent hip surgery in 2021 that kept him out for six months. A back injury saw him withdraw from a Davis Cup tie in 2024. Back niggles continued a year later. Even this year, a hip flexor tear forced him to retire mid-match at the ATP Challenger in Nonthaburi, Thailand.“Thanks for the bumpy ride, 2025,” he wrote on social media after a year of no singles titles and as he slipped from top-100 in rankings to World No. 277.“Getting injured in random tournaments, (to) random balls, no pattern. It’s very frustrating but I’ve also accepted it’s part of it. It is annoying also that it takes out my rhythm. I’m a small guy. I need to play in rhythm. It’s very tough for me to just stand on the court and go boom, boom, boom.“I need to play, play, play. My best years have been when I’ve been injury-free. I think the last 15-17 months have been very unfortunate, with 4-5 different injuries, but I’m trying my best. I am working as much as possible. Right now, there are no ifs, buts or maybe,” he continued.

Sumit Nagal in action during the ATP Challenger in Delhi.

The ‘best years’ that Nagal refers to are performances like qualifying for the 2024 Australian Open and beating World No. 27 Alexander Bublik. He then clinched the ATP Challenger in Chennai. Then there was a three-setter against Holger Rune in Monte Carlo.Now, not surprisingly, he’s spending a little bit more time on fitness and rehab. The World No. 278 player has changed his diet, is eating less gluten and reminds himself to be patient as the body undergoes a change.Through these injuries, recoveries and continuous struggles, Nagal, who was once World No. 68 in July 2024, has matured.“I think the surgery was where I really matured. The reason was that I watched a lot of tennis in those months. I understood the patterns,” said Nagal.

“Obviously, you also get a little bit older. You get more emotionally stable. Things play out just because you’ve been there for a while. You understand what is what. You have experience now. You are more calm, more mature. So I would say these things are what made the biggest difference,” he continued.“Injuries are very tough to say. If you struggle for a while, then it can affect your movements. When I had this hip surgery, I was struggling for a year to play without pain. “And then when I decided, ‘listen, I cannot really play like this. I need to figure things out’. But also, I lost almost one-and-a-half to two years because so many months you lose on trying to figure things out.

Sumit Nagal at the ATP Challenger tournament in Pune.

“When the surgery is done, it takes you almost 8-10 months to come back because a joint that is coming out of a surgical clinic, you also have to be patient,” he stressed.The fears for Nagal and his team came back in January. When it was confirmed that it wasn’t bad enough to warrant surgery, the Delhi-born worked overdrive on recovery and rehab alongside Yash Pandey, who has worked extensively with the India No. 1. The expected 5-6 weeks of rehab was shaved to three weeks with ‘no days off.’On the court, the struggles persist. After six tournaments — Australian Open wildcard playoff, Bengaluru Challenger, Nonthaburi Challenger, Chennai Challenger, Delhi Challenger, Pune Challenger — Nagal has not been able to stitch two wins in a row.None hurt more than the loss against Harold Mayot in Bengaluru. The Indian was up 6-2 in the third-set tiebreaker and had the finish line in sight after three hours. He had saved two match points and now had seven match points of his own. One after the other, they kept going away from him. One of the lost opportunities was when Nagal misjudged a ball, expecting it to go long, only to watch it take the line.Many weeks later, he has a pragmatic approach to the season and defeats so far.“I think the Bangalore loss was very unfortunate. It felt really bad for a bit. But then I also realised if I’m in this position 10 times, I’m probably going to win 9 times. So I said, ‘Man, you know, take it, can’t win all. You will have matches like this because I know that I have been on the other side also. And every tennis player goes through this. Sometimes you win from a really bad position and then you [also] lose from a really good position,” said Nagal.Sumit’s favourite part of the season begins now – on clay. He has returned to his place and academy in Germany, and the first tournament is in Zadar, Croatia, with the French Open a possibility. Now, he is focusing on the controllables – the backhand, the serve, the volley.“Other things I can’t really control. And if I can control these things, I will be a better player,” he said with the maturity of someone whose patient game now, unfortunately, matches his off-the-court injuries-induced patience.