The Indian Cricket Control Board (BCCI) just named Suryakumar Yadav the leader for the next five T20I home games against Australia. These matches start in Visakhapatnam on November 23.
Except for Jasprit Bumrah, all players from India’s last T20I series against Ireland have been retained. Sanju Samson has also been left out of the team, with Ishan Kishan taking his place.
Axar Patel returns to the team after a lengthy injury layoff. Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna, who was recruited into India’s ODI World Cup team following the injury to Hardik Pandya, has kept his spot. Hardik is still recovering and has not been considered.
VVS Laxman is set to be the head coach for the series. Existing head coach Rahul Dravid’s agreement finished following the World Cup’s close, and his forthcoming status is unknown.
India’s squad for Australia series: Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar.
Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav’s selection for the next series against the defending ODI champs created quite a stir. On that topic, here are three reasons why Suryakumar should have rested.
1. Workload management
In India’s white-ball squads this year, Suryakumar Yadav has regularly appeared. He’s played in 21 ODIs and 11 T20Is. Plus, he’s played in 16 of this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) games for the Mumbai Indians (MI).
With a tight schedule ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States, team management could have considered resting Suryakumar for the Australia series.
It would have aided his recovery and prepared him for the next task.
2. Lack of form
In his debut ODI World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav had a difficult time. He only scored 106 runs in seven matches, averaging 17.66. Even in the final against Australia on Sunday, he struggled, scoring only 18 runs from 28 balls.
He has come in for criticism from several sections, including former cricketer Anil Kumble. A break would have done a world of good to Suryakumar, with important series lined up leading to the T20 World Cup next year.
3. Opportunity to groom another finisher
The five-match Twenty20 International series between India and Australia has nothing noteworthy to offer. As a result, with major games coming up in the following 12 months, it was an excellent chance for management to develop a finisher.
Due to a dearth of backup alternatives, the Men in Blue have struggled. The absence of a real all-rounder following Hardik Pandya’s injury cost India dearly in the just ended ODI World Cup.
As a result, the next five-match T20I series against Australia would have been an excellent time for the thought tank to try to produce another finisher.
