Suryakumar Yadav hits 21-ball 60 for Mumbai and vows to break down India door

Suryakumar Yadav struck a 21-ball 60 for Mumbai against Hyderabad on Saturday and said he was hurt by his omission from India's T20I plans after the T20 World Cup triumph, vowing to fight his way back into the side.

His innings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy opener, a domestic Twenty20 tournament, helped Mumbai chase 173 in 13.1 overs. They won by seven wickets with 41 balls to spare, according to India Today.

The 35-year-old had been out of the national team for a difficult few months. Speaking after the match, he said he had expected to keep playing for India after the World Cup campaign.

'I was hurt'

Suryakumar accepted that the selectors would have had their reasons, but said the decision had stung and that he was trying to turn the disappointment into motivation.

"But yes, I was hurt. If you don't feel sad or hurt, how will you turn that into passion, and how will you play with that passion? That is what I am trying to do now," he said, as quoted by PTI.

He said the hunger he had felt when scoring runs in domestic cricket to earn his place in the India side had returned.

If I want to play for India again, I will have to break the door down once more.

Captaincy and a clear message

Suryakumar was recently appointed Mumbai captain. He thanked Mumbai Cricket Association president Ajinkya Naik, describing the role as a reflection of the faith and respect shown to him, according to Rediff.com.

Rediff.com also reports that he is working on adapting to the changing demands of T20 cricket, in particular keeping up aggressive batting in the middle overs when chasing big totals. He stressed that his aim was consistent scoring and helping Mumbai win rather than making a statement.