Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 16 (ANI): Indian cricketer Suryakumar Yadav on Wednesday visited the iconic Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh Pandal in Mumbai and offered prayers during Ganeshotsav.
Speaking to reporters, the 2026 T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar said he has been visiting Lalbaugcha Raja for the past five to six years and believes wishes made there are powerful. He recalled seeing prayers for India’s World Cup victories under his captaincy and shared that his family’s wish for a daughter last year was fulfilled, for which they returned and offered gratitude.
He said, “It feels good. I’ve been coming here for the last five or six years. I once saw a note someone had written for 2024, saying that India would win the World Cup that year. Then I came back in 2025, and someone had written that under my leadership, we would win the World Cup in India in 2026. The wishes made here are very powerful. Last year, we prayed for a daughter, and we were blessed with one, so we came back to offer our gratitude.”
Suryakumar has achieved several milestones in his career, including winning the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year award in 2022 and 2023.
The former India T20I captain reached the No. 1 position in the ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings in October 2022 and registered 910 rating points in January 2023, among the highest-ever ratings recorded in the format.
The right-handed batter played a key role in India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph and later led the team to the 2026 T20 World Cup title, making India the first side to successfully defend the title. Under his captaincy, India also won the T20 Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE.
However, after winning the 2026 T20 World Cup, Suryakumar was dropped from the T20I side named for the tour to the UK (matches against Ireland and England), and it was Shreyas Iyer who was appointed as the new T20I captain following some success with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL. Despite his incredible captaincy, Suryakumar’s dip in batting form was believed to have played a big role in his omission from the team. (ANI)
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