Bollywood actress Khushi Mukherjee and Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav (Insta)

Bollywood and television actor Khushi Mukherjee has moved to clear the air around her recent comments involving India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, addressing the issue in an exclusive interaction with NDTV. Her clarification has eased concerns among the captain’s supporters and Indian cricket followers, especially with a major ICC event on the horizon. Responding to questions from the channel,

Khushi

remarked, “Can’t we talk as friends?” Her explanation follows a statement made a day earlier that triggered widespread debate within cricket circles.

With the T20 World Cup less than six weeks away and the Indian squad already announced under Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership, the interpretation of her earlier remarks was viewed as potentially unsettling for the team setup. Such off-field noise often raises fears about its impact on dressing-room harmony.

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Despite leading India to the Asia Cup title in 2025, Suryakumar Yadav has recently faced scrutiny due to a lean run with the bat.

Against this backdrop, Khushi Mukherjee’s remarks added to the buzz. Notably, her earlier comments surfaced at a time when Suryakumar was on a personal visit to the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati along with his wife, Devisha, on Tuesday. The Indian captain has so far chosen not to respond publicly to the controversy. Speaking to NDTV, Khushi categorically stated that there was no “romantic relationship” between her and Suryakumar Yadav.

She said her words had been taken out of context and sensationalised, and also claimed that her Instagram account had been hacked. Khushi explained that she had spoken to Suryakumar as a friend in the past but stressed that they are no longer in contact. She added that there has been no communication between them even after the issue erupted. Wishing the Indian team well, she expressed her support for Suryakumar Yadav and Team India ahead of the upcoming World Cup, mentioning that the cricketer had once spoken to her as a friend following a defeat. The controversy began after Khushi gave a striking response to a question at a recent event, where she said she did not wish to date any cricketer, claimed that several cricketers had approached her, and referred to Suryakumar Yadav messaging her in the past. Khushi Mukherjee is known for her appearances in television shows such as MTV Splitsvilla, Kahat Hanuman Jai Shri Ram, Baalveer Returns and MTV Love School, along with work in Tamil and Telugu cinema. In her earlier statement as well, she reiterated that she has no intention of dating a cricketer.