Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian cricketer known for his versatile strokeplay, decided to step into the role of a media person with camera incognito. He conducted street interviews with cricket fans in Mumbai at Marine Drive, and the fans had no clue that they were interacting with one of India’s star cricketers. Before venturing onto the streets, Suryakumar Yadav concealed his identity by wearing a nose mask. He even managed to surprise his teammate, Ravindra Jadeja, who took some time to realise that he was chatting with SKY in the team’s hotel lobby.
In a unique initiative for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in the lead-up to India’s match against Sri Lanka, Yadav adopted a clever disguise. He wore a full shirt to hide his tattoos, put on a mask and a hat, and mingled with cricket fans at Marine Drive in Mumbai before their group stage game against Sri Lanka on November 2 (Thursday).
Yadav, unrecognizable in his disguise, engaged with fans about the Indian cricket team and their performance. Many fans praised their favourite cricketers, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah, but interestingly, they didn’t mention Suryakumar Yadav. This prompted Yadav to inquire about his own performance, which led to some surprising responses.
One fan discussed Suryakumar Yadav’s batting and expressed a desire to see him higher up in the batting order. Although the fan admitted he had no authority to comment on Yadav’s style, he expressed hope for his success.
Another fan acknowledged the joy of watching Surya’s batting and the effective use of his wrist.
“I think it’s a joy to watch him play. Everytime I see him bat I am just like how does he hit these shots. His wrist and everything, it’s great. Mr. 360 for a reason. So yeah, I am looking forward to see him play and I hope he gets a chance to play at the Wankhede,” the fan said.
It was only after the fan concluded with her admiration for him, Suryakumar Yadav revealed his true identity by removing his mask, leaving the fan in disbelief. Yadav then took photos with the fans and concluded his incognito spree.
Yadav played a crucial role in India’s previous ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup[ 2023 match against England, scoring a resilient 49 off 47 balls when India’s top order struggled. His innings helped India reach a 200+ total, which ultimately led to a 100-run victory.
Currently, India are the only unbeaten team in the tournament and are set to face Sri Lanka in their seventh group-stage game on Thursday.