"Why would it hurt?" - Suryakumar Yadav knows why he wasn't picked for Champions Trophy

India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav is a practical man. The 34-year-old is one of the best T20 batters in the world but knows that he hasn’t done much in the 50-over format at the international level. 

SKY averages 25.76 in 37 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), so he wasn’t surprised when he wasn’t picked in the Indian squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

"Why would it hurt? If I do well, I would have been in the Champions Trophy. If I don't do well, it's important to accept that,” said SKY ahead of the first T20I against England in Kolkata on January 22 (Wednesday).

“And at the same time, if you see the Champions Trophy squad, it's looking really good. Whoever is there, they are all good performers. They have done relatively well in that format for India and also playing domestic cricket and I am very happy for them. 

“It hurts to think that I have not done well. And if I had done well, I would have stayed there. If I haven't done well, someone who deserves to have done really well, deserves to be there.”

In the 2023 ODI World Cup, SKY could only manage 106 runs across seven games at an average of 17.66. The right-handed batter, however, is crucial member of India’s T20I batting line-up and will have his entire focus on next year’s T20 World Cup.