It’s perhaps a commentary on the depth of talent in India's batting reserves that Suryakumar Yadav, the team's T20I captain and erstwhile top-ranked batter (a position he held for a long time), is not even discussed for the ODI team these days, leave alone Tests. At 34, the ever-smiling SKY seems to have reconciled with it and prefers to see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty.

The sight of a Surya, in whites and immersed in prolonged net sessions at the Eden Gardens over two days in preparation for Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Haryana from Saturday, seemed a bit out of place. However, those who have followed this enigmatic batter’s career will vouch for the fact that his journey actually began with the grind in red-ball cricket when he made his debut against Delhi way back in 2010-11.

The very next season, he was the top-scorer for Mumbai with 754 runs from nine games before his IPL break made him gravitate towards white-ball cricket, and made him what he is today. Now approaching the home stretch of his career, Surya has just one Test appearance to show for it, while his last ODI appearance was in the November 2023 World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad.

Asked if it hurts that despite being a senior member of the white-ball set-up, he was never in contention for a spot in the revived ICC Champions Trophy, Surya was brutally honest about himself before the first T20I vs England last month. ‘’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 it,’’ he said. ‘’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 has done really well deserves to be there.’’

The past two weeks, worryingly, haven’t brought him luck with the bat in the T20I series either. While captain Surya has maintained his unblemished record, with the Men in Blue wrapping up the series 4-1 against England, SKY the batter tallied a miserable 28 from five innings, including a couple of ducks. Having shuffled his position to promote the in-form Tilak Varma, he got starts on a few occasions but failed to build on them. If that’s not enough, Surya also struggled in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches he played in the interim for Mumbai.

The anxiety may be getting to him, as was evident from his extended session on Thursday, first at the main nets against the likes of Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube and other quicks, and then a round of knocking against throwdowns.

“Aa jayenge form mein...Time lagega thoda (will return to form... just a matter of time),” Surya said in an informal chat with local media. A look at the ICC rankings for T20I batters reveals that Surya, who had an extended lease as world no. 1, has now slipped to fifth position, while two young Turks from his team — Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma — are now in second and third position, respectively, with Travis Head at the top.

Does the lean run warrant a change of approach from Surya, whose audacious pick-up shots for sixes over fine-leg or behind-square scoops have almost acquired his copyright over the last three years? The seasoned batter, who once showed enormous patience and character to finally break into the Indian team, is the best judge of remedial measures.

The last-minute decision by the BCCI to shift the match to a neutral venue (it was supposed to have been held in Lahli, Haryana but the harsh winter in north India apparently hindered the pitch preparation) may help Surya should he be ready to play the waiting game in the five-day contest. The Haryana pace attack will be led by young Anshul Khamboj, who grabbed the limelight with a 10-wicket haul against Kerala earlier this season.

The Ranji Trophy, which has Mumbai’s name inscribed on it a record 42 times, is a matter of serious pride for the team. No prizes for guessing, Surya would like to play his part in adding one more there.