IND vs SL 2021: Can Suryakumar Yadav be the X factor for Team India in the T20 World Cup?
Indian middle-order batsman Suryakumar Yadav is currently in Colombo preparing for the series against Sri Lanka. The series, which has been postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the hosts' camp, will consist of three ODIs followed by three T20Is.
Though this seems like any other normal series, it is a very important one for certain players. With India's main players being in England due to the upcoming Test series, a second-string squad has been selected for this tour.
Though these are not India's first-choice players, they are no less when it comes to talent and potential. While there are a few players who could end up making their debut, there are some who have been in the scheme of things for a while.
One such player is Suryakumar Yadav. Even though he has played only one international series so far, his name has been in the reckoning for quite a while. This tour will be his chance to cement his spot.
The No.3 spot could well be up for grabs as Virat Kohli has expressed his desire to open with Rohit Sharma. This makes the Sri Lanka series even more crucial for SKY. With plenty of new faces in the squad, the best performers could well earn a spot in the team for the T20 World Cup.
Suryakumar Yadav has been at his best in T20 format. His ability to rotate the strike as well as play the big shots makes him a very desirable commodity for any team. His last few IPL seasons have been excellent and both experts and fans are desperate to see him in the Indian side.
The 2018 IPL season was the one where he announced his arrival. He scored 512 runs at an average of 36.57 and a strike rate of 133.33. While most people were impressed, some thought that Suryakumar might just be a one-season wonder. Well, he definitely proved them wrong in the following seasons.
In the 2019 edition, he scored 424 runs at an average of 32.61 and a strike rate of 130.86. However, even after two brilliant seasons he was not selected in the Indian side. Most people believed that he was hard done by, but he did not give up and came back even stronger.
Suryakumar Yadav is the ideal middle-order batsman for the Indian team
His performance in the 2020 season made it impossible for the selectors to not pick him. He scored 480 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 145.01. A player like this is exactly what the Indian team needs. He is a great player of spin and has an aggressive game style. But what adds greater value is that he rotates the strike well too.
In the Indian team currently most players either take time to get set or try hitting from ball one and get out early. Suryakumar provides the perfect balance. He can assess the situation and play accordingly. Going into a tournament like the T20 World Cup, he can be a big asset for the team.
He proved his worth in the England series as well. Suryakumar made his debut in the third T20I but did not get to bat in that game. In the next match, he got an opportunity to bat and made maximum use of it.
He scored an impressive fifty in his debut inning and finished with 57 runs off 31 balls. He followed it up with another good knock in the final T20I scoring 32 runs off just 17 balls.
If he has a good series in Sri Lanka it will be tough to leave him out of India's World Cup eleven.
Suryakumar has the potential to be an X factor in the Indian team. He has the fire within him and wants to be the best. His skill set could help India capitalize on the middle overs, which has been a cause for concern in the past.
The tour is set to begin on July 18 after it was postponed due to COVID-19 cases in the Sri Lankan bubble. This is a very important tour for Suryakumar Yadav as he is currently the forerunner for a spot in the Indian team for the upcoming T20 World Cup.