India's T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, recently made his debut appearance at Wimbledon this week. While soaking in the grandeur of Centre Court, the 33-year-old was clear about one thing: if he ever played tennis doubles, his partner would be none other than MS Dhoni.
Alongside Indian and international cricket stars like Virat Kohli, Sunil Gavaskar, James Anderson, Joe Root, Jasprit Bumrah etc, Suryakumar Yadav has been another star attraction at the lawns of Wimbledon's Centre Court.
When asked about what made him come to Wimbledon, the right-hander said he had always heard about the atmosphere at the Centre Court, following which he came to experience it.
“Definitely, MS Dhoni,” Surya said with a smile, when asked which cricketer he would pick for a hypothetical doubles pairing. “He’s got speed, a lot of endurance, and is mentally very tough. Plus, whenever he’s not playing cricket these days, I’ve seen him playing a lot of tennis.”
"I watch tennis quite a bit on television. I’ve always heard about the atmosphere around Centre Court, especially the moment you walk in. I am here to experience that surreal feeling in person," said Suryakumar.
Suryakumar Yadav also stated that he has come to watch and support his "inspiration" Serbian tennis icon Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the ongoing 2025 edition of the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
Serbian superstar's challenger in the semifinal is world number one Jannik Sinner, with the Italian ending Ben Shelton's run in the competition with a 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4 win
Speaking at JioHotstar, Suryakumar said, "I have definitely come to watch Novak Djokovic. I have been following his career for a very long time. I even read his book 'Serve to Win', which really inspired me. I made my international cricket debut a little later in life, though not quite as late as 30, but I could really relate to his journey and perseverance. The way he keeps going is phenomenal."
Suryakumar Yadav's last international outing came on February 02, 2025, against England in a T20I match. The Mumbai-born cricketer has played 83 T20Is and scored 2598 runs, including four tons.