“I have no doubt that Suryakumar Yadav will play a World Cup match for India" - Sanjay Manjrekar
Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar strongly believes that Suryakumar Yadav will be given an opportunity during the 2023 ODI World Cup. The right-handed batter has struggled to make his mark in the 50-over format but managed to find a place in Team India's 2023 ODI World Cup squad.
Suryakumar has been exceptional for Team India in the shortest format, but he has been unable to translate the form in ODIs and has often struggled to find the right tempo.
He was handed several opportunities during the time when fellow middle-order batters KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer were ruled out due to injuries. However, Suryakumar could not make the most of it, with the lowest point being his three successive ducks against Australia in the home ODI series.
Opining that playing Suryakumar Yadav comes across as a huge temptation for Team India, Sanjay Manjrekar said on Star Sports:
“KL Rahul coming in at that position is good for Indian cricket because they wanted to test his match fitness out. If India is looking to test the waters before the World Cup, then you must give Suryakumar a game. His One-Day credentials are still in doubt and we don’t know if he would make the same kind of impact."
“I have no doubt that Suryakumar Yadav will play a World Cup match for India. Because just imagine Suryakumar warming the benches and you have got an incumbence like Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul playing. He is a massive temptation to play in a big game and a situation where you had a good start," Manjrekar added.
Suryakumar Yadav will also have to compete with Ishan Kishan for a spot in the middle order. The wicketkeeper-batter, also being a left-handed batter, has arguably overtaken Suryakumar in the pecking order on the back of his recent displays.
"Suryakumar can get you 60 off 28 balls and that can become a match-winning innings" - Sanjay Manjrekar
Suryakumar Yadav has scored 511 runs in 24 innings at an average of 24.33 in his ODI career so far. In 2023, he has scored 127 runs in nine innings at an average of just 14.11. His most recent ODI outing came during the tour of the Caribbean, where he recorded 34 runs off 30 deliveries.
Further stating that Suryakumar Yadav could be an X-Factor for Team India at the World Cup, Sanjay Manjrekar said:
“With around 18 overs left and eight wickets in hand, Suryakumar can get you 60 off 28 balls and that can become a match-winning innings. In the World Cup, that will be a big temptation India will not be able to resist."
The right-handed batter is part of the Asia Cup squad but will have to wait for his opportunity with KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer having returned from their respective injuries.
Shreyas has sustained another setback in the form of a back spasm midway through the Asia Cup 2023 campaign, it remains to be seen how long will it take for him to recover.