India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy – now known as the Centre of Excellence (CoE) – in Bengaluru, as he works toward regaining full fitness ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in the UAE from September 9 to 28.
Suryakumar, who recently reported to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) facility, is being monitored closely through fitness assessments as part of his recovery from a sports hernia surgery, which he underwent in Munich earlier this year.
“Underwent surgery for a sports hernia in the lower right abdomen. Grateful to share that after a smooth surgery, I’m already on the road to recovery. Can’t wait to be back,” he posted on social media on June 26.
Given his ongoing rehabilitation, West Zone selectors have excluded Suryakumar from their 15-member Duleep Trophy squad, with Shardul Thakur named captain. The squad features several Mumbai stars, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, and Tushar Deshpande.
Sources confirm that at the time of selection, selectors had inquired about his availability, and Suryakumar informed them he had already checked into the CoE. As per officials from the Mumbai Cricket Association, the star batter remains confident of being fit in time to lead India at the Asia Cup.
Suryakumar was last seen in action during the IPL 2025, where he played for the Mumbai Indians.
Shreyas Iyer Also Assessed at NCA
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer also made a recent visit to the CoE for routine fitness tests. The middle-order batter has since returned to Mumbai and is believed to be fully fit. Unless selected for the Asia Cup squad, Iyer is expected to play in the Duleep Trophy for West Zone.
Iyer was last seen leading the Punjab Kings in the IPL final, capping off a strong season. There had been speculation about his possible return to the Indian Test squad for the upcoming Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, but no call-up has been announced yet.
West Zone, directly seeded into the semifinals, will begin their Duleep Trophy campaign on September 4 in Bengaluru, while the tournament itself kicks off on August 28.
