Suryakumar Yadav is in a league of his own. The right-handed batter, who can pummel any opposition with his 360-degree strokeplay, powered India to a seven-wicket win over West Indies in the third Twenty20 International on Tuesday. His 76 off just 44 deliveries was a testament to India’s attacking approach in the 20-over format, and Yadav was given free rein to fire at the top alongside Rohit Sharma. Also Read | ‘Unable to express my feelings’: MI star shares heartwarming picture as he meets family after ‘9 years 3 months’
While his captain retired hurt in the second over, Yadav kept the scoreboard moving with his fluent innings. His effort comprising eight fours and four sixes ensured the visitors cantered to the target with an over to spare to take a 2-1 lead in the series ahead of the final two games. With less than three months remaining for the World T20, India have tried multiple openers, and their punt with Yadav hasn’t been a failed experiment.
But former national selector and India player Saba Karim feels Yadav needs to bat at the No. 4 position, as his quality to score against ‘top-quality’ bowling makes all the difference, especially in ICC events.
“I still think that he is best suited at No.4, especially against a top-quality bowling attack. No.4 is a very important batting position in ICC events, you need a player like Suryakumar there. He is equally proficient against pacers and spinners and scores at a healthy strike rate,” he told India News.
Yadav forged an 86-run stand with Shreyas Iyer, who made 24, and the partnership effectively ended West Indies’ hopes for a win. An unbeaten 33 from Rishabh Pant then sealed the game in St Kitts. His latest batting display has rewarded him on the latest rankings update too.
Yadav has moved to the second spot in ICC T20I men’s player rankings, which is his career-best. The Indian is likely to get the chance to overtake top-ranked Babar Azam over the coming week.
Former India player Reetinder Sodhi also lavished praise on Yadav, explaining how he is the ideal pick for the middle order. “He is an exceptional player, he has proven himself at the International level. He is brilliant in the middle-order, he knows how to run the game, and he knows how to rotate the strike as well as score boundaries at regular intervals. He will keep the scoreboard ticking,” he said.
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