"In this year's IPL, he was a different player" - Suryakumar Yadav hails Indian youngster with 'X factor'
Team India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has backed the inclusion of young batter Riyan Parag for the Sri Lanka series despite his underwhelming performance in Zimbabwe. Describing Riyan as a player with an X factor, he hailed the Assam cricketer for showing massive improvement in his batting in IPL 2024.
Some question marks have been raised over the decision to pick Riyan in both the T20I and the ODI squads for the series in Sri Lanka. The 22-year-old managed only 2 and 22 in the two T20Is he played in Zimbabwe. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhishek Sharma, who performed better than Riyan in the same series, were dropped for the T20Is in Sri Lanka.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the first T20I in Pallekele, Suryakumar asserted that he is happy to have Riyan in the Indian squad. Praising the youngster, he commented:
"I rate him very highly. I met him at the NCA before the IPL when we both were doing our rehabs. He has that X factor and he needs to keep everything aside and focus on that. He [has] realized that. In this year's IPL, he was a different player from the previous 3-4 seasons. I am very happy for him."
"The way he was performing in domestic cricket as well in the last couple of years, it sets a good base. I am very happy that he is here with the team," Suryakumar added.
The T20I series will also mark the dawn of a new era in Team India's T20I journey. With Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja having retired from the format, it will be up to the youngsters to take the team forward. Admitting that not having experienced hands will be tough, Suryakumar expressed confidence that the young guns will grab the opportunity that has come their way.
"Three players have retired and it will be difficult to fill their shoes, but the new players who have come in have practiced and played a lot. They have already done well in franchise cricket and also while playing for India. So I have a lot of trust in those three, who have just come in their place, that they will do well," the 33-year-old remarked.
Apart from Riyan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Rinku Singh will be part of the T20I batting outfit in Sri Lanka.
"Hardik’s role has always been the same" - Suryakumar Yadav on all-rounder's importance
All-rounder Hardik Pandya may not have been elevated to captaincy in the T20I format, but Suryakumar stressed on the point that he remains a key player for India. He also hoped that the 30-year-old could carry the form he showed in the T20 World Cup into the series against Sri Lanka and other assignments ahead.
"Hardik’s role has always been the same and it will remain the same. He is a very important player in the team. The way he performed in the World Cup, hopefully he can continue in the same manner," the Indian captain commented in the same press conference.
Pandya was the vice-captain during the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said a few days back at a press conference that he wasn't made captain due to his poor fitness track record.