Suryakumar Yadav Biography: Education, Career, & Surprising Facts!

Surya Kumar Yadav is an Indian International Cricketer, also known as India's very own Mr. 360. His 'Sweep shots' have garnered him considerable popularity and have rendered him a sensation amongst his fans. While young Surya was just a cricket fan like countless other Indian kids, it was his fate to lodge his name in the Hall of Fame in the Indian and International cricket scene.

In this article, you will find everything about Surya Kumar Yadav's biography, education, early life, and some amazing facts you must know. Not just that, we will also discuss Surya and his World Cup journey from selection to current performance. So, let's get started! 

Who's Surya Kumar Yadav? 

Surya Kumar Yadav Biography (Early Life & Education)

Surya Kumar Yadav was born on 14th September 1990 to a Hindu family in Hathouda village of Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. His father, Ashok Kumar Yadav, is the chief engineer at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (Mumbai), and his mother, Swapna Yadav, is a housewife. The Indian player is one of three children and has two siblings- a sister and a brother. He spent the initial years of his childhood in UP, but when he was 10 years old, his father got a job offer in Mumbai.

So, Suryakumar Yadav's family shifted from Ghazipur to Mumbai, a move that opened new doors not just for his family but also for Surya and his cricket aspirations. We'll discuss the Indian cricketer's career trajectory in detail later on. First, let's have a look at Surya Kumar Yadav's educational background:

• Surya went to the Atomic Energy Central School in Mumbai and got his early education there.
• He then went on to get an intermediate education from the Atomic Evergy Junior College in Mumbai.
• For his graduation, Surya compiled a B.Com degree from the Pillai College of Arts, Commerce, and Science, Mumbai. It was here that he would meet his wife, Devisha Shetty, a dance coach.

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Surya Kumar's Cricket Fervour

Do you believe in the old saying – 'Every expert was once a beginner'?

We think it's true, and it aligns perfectly with Surya Kumar's cricket journey. As we know, the famous Indian cricketer got his initial training playing gully cricket in the streets of Varanasi, like most Indian kids. But a talent this big cannot be contained and always finds a way to shine through, just like it did for SKY.

• Interestingly enough, at the beginning of his fascination with sports, Surya was interested in playing both badminton and cricket. But his father advised him to choose and focus on a single sport. Guess it was cricket for him.
• So his paternal uncle, Vinod Kumar Yadav, became his first cricket coach and started training him at Dr. Sampurnanand Sports Stadium, Sigra, Varanasi.

• While training was going well, Surya and his family had to move bases when he was 10 years old. But this separation brought on a bright new beginning for him. Surya's father was privy to his son's love for the sport and, on reaching Mumbai, enrolled SKY in a cricket camp at the BARC colony where Ashok Kamat took the role of his cricket coach.
• Surya continued to show immense commitment and passion for cricket. So at 12 years old, he joined the Elf Vengsarkar Academy at his father's insistence and started training under former cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar.

Here's what SKY had to say about his cricket camp training days:

"It helped that the colony had a ground of its own. Besides stalwarts such as former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar and batsman Lal Chand Rajput had ties with the colony and would visit often."

• A little while into his training, Surya Kumar Yadav started playing age-group cricket at the Parsi Gymkhana Cricket Club and continued developing his skills.
• In addition to the Parsi Gymkhana Cricket Club, SKY played the club cricket circuit for Shivaji Park Gymkhana, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, and Dadar Union Club.
• After a period of 8 years, Surya's hard work and the hours spent training started paying off when the Mumbai Cricket Association selected him for the Mumbai Team in 2010. 
• He made his List A cricket debut for the Mumbai Team in 2010 and played the 2010-11 Ranji Season against Gujarat in Ahmedabad. 
• Surya Kumar Yadav also made his T20 debut for Mumbai and played in Indore against Hyderabad in March 2010. Then, in December 2010, he made his 1st class cricket debut for Mumbai against Delhi and scored 73 runs off 89 balls.

• In the 2011-12 Ranji Season, Yadav once again met Mumbai Cricket Association's expectations and went on to become the top scorer for his state team. He scored 754 runs in 9 matches of the 2011-12 Ranji Trophy series, and a double century in the match against Odisha. 
• In 2011, SKY won the MA Chidambaram Trophy for Best Cricketer (Under-22 level). He put up an amazing performance scoring 721 runs (average 80.11) in 7 matches, proving his mettle and instilling that belief in every spectator's mind.
• The year 2012 marked another big milestone for Surya's career in cricket. This was when the Indian batter's 2011-12 season (and previous) performances garnered him a spot on Mumbai India's IPL Team.
• Suryakumar Yadav continued his domestic cricket career as a veteran player of the Mumbai team and even captained the team for a while, in the Ranji Trophy segment.

• But the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) asked him to step down from the captaincy in the 2014-15 Ranji Season and even went ahead to drop him from the 2018-19 season of the Ranji Trophy.
• However, the Indian batter's raw talent did not go unnoticed and he made the India C's squad in 2017. He then went on to play in the 2018-19 Deodhar Trophy for the India C's team.
• After a while, the MCA also reevaluated their decision and reappointed Surya as the captain for the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy tournament.
• SKY also led the Mumbai team in the 2020-21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as the Team Captain. He scored 94 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Group B Super League match against Karnataka which resulted in Mumbai winning the match by 7 wickets.
• In 2021, he also scored 249 runs in the final match against Payyade Sports Club while he was playing for the Parsi Gymkhana Cricket Club, in Police Shield Tournament.
  

  This match and the subsequent win were monumental because Parsi Gymkhana Cricket Club hadn't won the tournament since 1956. Suryakumar Yadav's performance garnered him the Best Batsman Award and the club became the first to win 3 trophies back-to-back in different formats.

• In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final on December 15, 2024, Suryakumar played a crucial knock of 48 runs off 35 balls, helping Mumbai clinch the title. During this innings, he surpassed MS Dhoni on the list of Indian batters with the most T20 sixes, reaching a total of 341 sixes in 280 innings.

Timeline Of Surya's International Cricket Journey

Suryakumar Ashok Yadav's excellent performance in cricket at the domestic level garnered him a spot in the International cricket scene.

• After years of hard work, one of India's favorite cricketers was selected for India's T20 International squad in 2021. He made his T20I match debut in the fourth match against England on March 14th, 2021. 
• Surya hit a six on the very first ball of his T20 international debut, becoming the first Indian to achieve this feat and marking a great start to his international career. He also scored fifty in the same match, and the very next day, Surya was selected for India's ODI squad for the England series.

• In June 2021, SKY was selected for both the ODI and Twenty20 International squads to play in the series against Sri Lanka.
• Surya made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka on July 18th, 2021, and scored his maiden ODI fifty on July 21st, 2021.
• In his next step to success and fame, Surya got a spot on the Indian National Team for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup in September 2021. He was also selected for the Test squad in 2021 and played against New Zealand.
• The cricket Gods kept granting SKY his wishes, and in June 2022, he was once again named on India's squad for the T20 International series against Ireland.
• A month later, in July 2022, Suryakumar Ashok Yadav went on to hit his maiden T20 International century (117 runs from 55 balls) against England. He is notably the 5th Indian cricketer to score 100 runs in T20I.
• SKY maintained good form throughout this stint, and in October 2022, he played in the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. This series saw Surya Kumar Yadav become the 'fastest batsman' to score 1000 runs (573 balls) in T20I and also the 
• He also got the first spot in the ICC T20 International rankings for batsmen and was the third highest run-getter in the tournamen, scoring 239 runs off six innings.
• Another notable moment that will go down in Surya Kumar Yadav’s biography came in October 2022 when he scored his first half-century in the T20I World Cup. This made him the fourth Indian batsman to achieve this feat in the T20 World Cup.
• In November 2022, Mr. 360 scored his second T20I century (111 runs, not out, off 51 balls) while playing against New Zealand. SKY thus became the 2nd Indian batsman to hit two T20 International centuries in the same calendar year. 
• Surya's impeccable performance in 2022 won him the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year title.
• The year 2022 laid a solid foundation for Suryakumar Yadav’s biographical achievements and upward career trajectory.
• In January 2023, Surya hit his fastest century (off 45 balls) in a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. This was his 3rd century in the T20 International. He broke KL Rahul's record and replaced it by registering the second-fastest T20I century by an Indian batter.
• In the same month, he achieved the second-best rating points– 910– in the history of men’s T20I rankings. 
• Even though SKY made the Indian Test squad in 2021, his Test debut was in February 2023 (against Australia).
• As always there are few hitches on your way to glory. For SKY they came when he registered 3 consecutive ducks (golden ducks) in an ODI series against Australia, becoming the first Indian batter to do so.
• Yadav bounced back as he was named vice-captain for the T20I series against West Indies in August 2023. He went on to score 83 runs (off 44 balls) in the series with a total of 166 runs in 4 innings.
• In November 2023, with Hardik Pandya sidelined due to an ankle injury, Yadav was appointed captain for the Australia tour of India, 2023 (5-match series). 
• He played an pivotal role in the opening match by scoring 80 runs (off 42 balls) and led India to a 4–1 victory. 
• SKY continued to be the captain for Indian tour of South Africa where he bashed the fourth T20I century of his career and won the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year 2023 award, for the second consecutive year.
• Moving onto to another year of Suryakumar Yadav’s biographical career milestones, he was a part of the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India squad. 
• He even went on to win the Player of the Match in the tournament in Super 8 match against Afghanistan, after scoring a quickfire 53 runs off 28 balls.
• In the T20 World Cup final against South Africa on June 29, 2024, Suryakumar Yadav took a crucial/close-boundary catch to dismiss David Miller in the final over. This was instrumental in India's narrow victory, clinching their second T20 World Cup title.
• In the India's tour of Sri Lanka (July 2024), Yadav scored 58 runs off 26 balls in the first T20I, leading India to a 43-run victory. 
• This performance earned him his 16th T20I Player of the Match award, equaling Virat Kohli's record, but achieving this feat in 56 fewer matches.

In January 2025, Suryakumar Yadav captained India in a five-match T20I series against England, leading the team to a 3-2 victory. This marked a key leadership milestone in Surya’s international career.

Surya Kumar Yadav Aka SKY's IPL Highlights (Updated 2025)

Indian cricket fans eagerly await the IPL every year, and for Suryakumar Yadav, the tournament has been a rollercoaster ride of opportunities, challenges, and triumphs. Here’s a look at his journey through the years:

• 2012: Mumbai Indians (MI) acquired Yadav based on his Ranji performances, but he had limited playing opportunities.
• 2014: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bought him in the IPL auctions after MI released him.
• 2015: SKY played a match-winning knock of 46 off 20 balls against MI, solidifying his place in KKR and earning the role of vice-captain.
• 2018: Mumbai Indians reacquired him for INR 3.2 Crore, where he excelled as a top-order batsman and had an amazing season.
• 2022: Retained by MI for INR 8 Crores but was ruled out mid-season due to a left forearm injury.
• 2023: Continued with MI, showcasing consistent performances throughout the season.
• 2024: Retained by MI again for INR 8 Crores, remaining a key player for the franchise.
• 2025: Mumbai Indians retained Yadav for INR 8 Crores for yet another season. 

With regular captain Hardik Pandya serving a one-match suspension for a slow over-rate from the previous season, Suryakumar Yadav was appointed as the stand-in captain for MI's opening match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 22, 2025.

Here is a snapshot view of Surya's salary for his IPL career:

The SKY’s The Limit!

Suryakumar Yadav’s journey is a testament to resilience, hard work, and an unyielding passion for cricket. From domestic circuits to the grandest international stages, he has battled injuries, setbacks, and competition to carve his place in Indian cricket. Whether smashing centuries or taking stunning catches, he continues to be a game-changer.

As he moves forward in his career, one thing is certain—SKY never backs down from a challenge. With his fearless batting and dynamic presence, we can’t wait to see what he achieves next. Here’s to more sixes, more milestones, and a legacy that inspires future generations! #BeUnstoppable

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