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Xtra Time Web Desk: India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav took a nostalgic trip down memory lane as he returned to Eden Gardens for the first T20I against England on January 22. The five-match T20I series marks a significant moment for Suryakumar, who previously played for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at this iconic venue during his IPL stint from 2014 to 2017.

“When I came here the first time, people fed me a lot of ‘Mishti Doi’. I ate that a lot and even today whenever we come here and have some space for a cheat meal, we add it after the meal. It’s a vintage type feeling, it feels good when you come here. I still remember it was 2014 when I came to KKR for the first time. From then to now, obviously I never thought that I would be leading India after 10–11 years,” said Suryakumar in a video released by the BCCI.

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Suryakumar played for KKR from 2014-17 before being bought by Mumbai Indians for Rs 3.4 Crore ahead of IPL 2018. Furthermore, Suryakumar recalled his learnings while playing under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir and expressed excitement ahead of leading the team at the historic stadium.

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ft. Captain Suryakumar Yadav ????#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @surya_14kumar | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/lB1MJse70w

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 21, 2025

“But today to stand at this ground and think that I’m going to lead the team as it’s also a historic stadium. It’s a great feeling and I’m having fun thinking about it. It has been a beautiful journey, it feels so good to think. Whenever I sit in the room, I think that I used to come and play here 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 those four years. It was also a beautiful memory as I’ve learned a lot here. Gauti Bhai (Gautam Gambhir) was the captain at that time, I’ve played under him over here and learned a lot of tricks and trade. So I know this place really well and very happy to be back here,” he added.

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Meanwhile, Suryakumar will aim to continue his clean record as India’s T20I skipper as he’s not lost a single series yet while leading the team in the shortest format. Out of the five series captained in his career so far, Suryakumar has won three, while one series was tied against South Africa in 2023. Hence, he will be eager to continue his winning run against England.