In 2022, Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) achieved something spectacular. He became India’s premier T20 batter and a formidable presence on the international stage. Like a Ferrari that accelerates from 0 to 100, SKY cruised through every tournament and match. His accomplishments were well worthy of praise and recognition.
SKY’s ODI career has been quite a bumpy ride till now, just like Indian roads filled with potholes and speed bumps. His T20 form is very promising, and with Rishabh Pant unavailable and Shreyas Iyer needing back surgery, SKY’s inclusion in the Indian ODI setup is tempting. Nevertheless, he must be careful and watchful, as the numerous bumps along the way can wreak havoc on even the best.
India has again been looking for a dependable number-four batter as they prepare for the World Cup. After seeing Suryakumar Yadav’s impressive performance, it was impossible for the team management not to invite him to join their ranks. Despite two consecutive golden ducks in the recent ODI series against Australia, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid remains confident that SKY will help the team achieve its goals.
“We certainly see the upside of him doing well. Surya getting runs in ODIs would be very good for the team”, said Dravid.
Rohit Sharma expressed his confidence that his teammate from Mumbai Indians will be given opportunities to shine in the upcoming matches.
“Like back-to-back games, 7-8 or 10 games like that so that he feels more comfortable,” said the Indian captain.
SKY’s poor run in the series continued on Wednesday, as he registered a third consecutive golden duck. SKY’s performance in the 21 innings of the ODI has been less than desirable, with 433 runs at an average of 24.05 with a strike rate of 102.12. Undoubtedly, Suryakumar Yadav will be wishing to leave this unlucky period behind and move on to better fortunes.
In the final ODI against Australia, India tried to rise and take the necessary steps to cope with the situation. Even though success was not immediately achieved, but this approach was the right way to go.
Suryakumar Yadav could shine in the Indian batting lineup as a floater
If you’re familiar with the evolution of One Day International (ODI) cricket, you’ll know that batting teams now view the 35th over as a chance to unleash their most aggressive batters. Australia has capitalized on this approach, deploying Glenn Maxwell lower down the order and giving him the license to go for it.
Comparisons between ABD and SKY have been made before, and this should not be interpreted as a judgment of whether either is better or worse than the other. Instead, it symbolizes that they share many similar traits, particularly their habit of playing with a 360-degree batting style.
Australia often withholds Maxwell to take advantage of his potential to cause disruption and score rapidly right from the start. India may be wise to do the same with Suryakumar Yadav, taking full advantage of his tactical versatility. The outcome of their recent third ODI might not have been what they wanted, but it provides valuable insight into how they should approach the game in future.
The team’s management must provide SKY and the rest of the middle order with a steady run of 7-8 games to ensure they understand their roles and are given a sense of clarity.