"He just played the most ridiculous innings" - Michael Vaughan feels Suryakumar Yadav has to play 1st ODI vs England
Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes there should be no debate about Suryakumar Yadav's spot in India's playing XI for the first ODI against England. The two teams will clash at The Oval on Tuesday, July 12.
The 31-year-old played an incredible knock of 117 off just 55 deliveries in the third T20I. He almost single-handedly took the Men in Blue to the brink of a record win, but they fell short by 17 runs in the end.
Vaughan feels Yadav is too good a player to be left out and should definitely make it to the starting XI.
Suryakumar Yadav's magnificent 117 in just 55 balls. One of the greatest you'll see! https://t.co/3Fci70hVGx
Speaking to Cricbuzz ahead of the ODI series, Michael Vaughan also shed light on how important it is for Virat Kohli to fire;. Here's what the 47-year-old had to say about India's team composition:
"India have got so much quality and depth that they have just got to get the combinations right. SKY has to play, he just played the most ridiculous innings. The pinnacle point will be Virat and I think that's where the series will be highlighted."
Vaughan added:
"India needs Virat to get back in form. From what I saw here, he is not far away. The talk will be about 'Can he get that hundred?'"
Reece Topley said "The knock by Suryakumar Yadav deserves to be on the winning side, he played some amazing shots which I haven't seen in cricket - I don't know how he played that shots".
Both Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer can play: Zaheer Khan
If Kohli is fit to play the first ODI, it might come down to who the team management prefers between Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer at No. 4 and No. 5. However, former Indian left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan, who was also part of the Cricbuzz panel, believes there's perhaps a possibility of both batsman featuring.
He stated:
"Both can play (Suryakumar & Shreyas). It depends a lot on how the team is thinking, so we will have to wait and see. But as things stand, Surya deserves a go."
If Kohli fails to recover from his reported groin injury in time, Suryakumar Yadav might have a pivotal role to play in the first ODI. India will need him to make the most of his good form as they look to start the series with a win.