Surya, or SKY as some of his fans like to call him, is a prolific run-scorer in the IPL, having scored 2,197 in 108 T20 games. His last four T20Is have fetched him 139 runs at a strike rate of 169. 

In the recent three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka he scored 124 runs.

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Coach Ashok Aswalkar 

“Every player’s dream is to play Test cricket and it’s good that Surya is in India’s Test team. We are all delighted for him,” Suryakumar’s father Ashokkumar Yadav told mid-day on Monday. 

“This is a long series of five Tests and we hope he will get a chance in the playing XI. He is a mature player now and knows his responsibility well. He has to become Mr Cricket like Australia’s Hussey, 46, who also had a late entry into international cricket [ODI debut at 28 and 30 in Tests],” remarked Ashokkumar, 55.  

Surya’s childhood coach Ashok Aswalkar, 58, reckoned his ward is someone who never gets bogged down by pressure and always enjoys the game, which is his strong point.

Recalling Surya’s early days, Aswalkar said: “He was fearless right from the age of 10 and wanted to dominate bowling attacks. He always wanted to be on the ground even after practice sessions at BARC ground in Chembur.”

Ashok Kamat, who coached him at Dilip Vengsarkar’s academy in Churchgate, said that it is Surya’s hunger for runs that has got him a Test opportunity at the age of 30.

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