IND vs ZIM 2022: 3 reasons why Suryakumar Yadav's absence is a huge blow
The deluge of international matches for the Indian Cricket Team continues in August, with a 50-over series in Zimbabwe. Unlike the greenhorn teams that India have sent to the African nation in the past, the 15-member squad has only two likely debutants in Rahul Tripathi and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Sandwiched between India's tour of the Caribbean and the USA, and the Asia Cup in August, the series sees a number of players from India's last assignments rested or not picked. There are no like-for-like replacements for players such as pace-bowling allrounder Hardik Pandya, legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav.
While India do have a few all-rounders and spin-bowling options, the absence of Suryakumar from the touring party might make skipper Shikhar Dhawan's job harder in Zimbabwe. Here are three reasons why the 31-year-old's absence is a huge blow.
#3 Lack of experience in the Indian side
While Suryakumar Yadav only made his India debut in 2021, he has been a force in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and in the domestic circuit for Mumbai for a long time. Having first been picked in the 2012 IPL auctions by the Mumbai Indians (MI), the middle-order batter went on to play a key role in the Kolkata Knight Riders' title triumph in 2014 and MI's twin victories of 2019 and 2020.
Aside from Suryakumar, few others in the chosen squad can claim to have more than ten years of experience at the IPL level. Even though a few players have played more international cricket than him, the domestic cricket veteran has a bank of knowledge about the game which the relatively young squad could have made effective use of in Zimbabwe. There is also no clear vice-captain candidate in the squad, a position Suryakumar would surely have been in line for.
#2 Limited middle-order firepower
Despite his franchise MI having a woeful season, Suryakumar shone through with his ability to play as per the demands of the situation. Often coming in to bat with his team in a precarious position, the Mumbai player stemmed the fall of wickets while also maintaining a healthy strike rate above 145. Although he missed close to half of MI's games due to injury, the experienced batter finished with his highest season strike rate of 43.29 to highlight his ability to construct an innings under pressure.
While Rahul Tripathi won plaudits for his high strike rate and similarly risk-free cricket in IPL 2022, the Sunrisers Hyderabad batter is uncapped at this level. Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda have both played five or fewer ODI games, and both are yet to showcase their range in this format. Although the hitting form of Axar Patel at the death should buoy up Indian hopes, India could have a momentum problem in the middle overs in Suryakumar's absence.
#1 Suryakumar's lack of apparent weaknesses
Suryakumar is often referred to as "India's Mr. 360", a moniker that derives from his ability to play shots around the ground regardless of the line and length of the delivery in question. His strong record against both spin and pace makes him a lethal weapon in the middle overs, where finding boundaries gets significantly more challenging due to five fielders being allowed to patrol the periphery.
India's likely middle order players this series - Deepak Hooda, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan - have their own weaknesses to sort out. While Hooda and Kishan are often slow off the blocks in white ball cricket, Samson prefers pace on the ball and can be tied down by slow bowling. One can say that this series will only help these players work on their weaknesses, but the team's path to victory will be more difficult in Suryakumar's absence.