IPL 2021: "Mumbai Indians rely heavily on Suryakumar Yadav" - Saba Karim on MI's batting line-up
Former India cricketer Saba Karim recently claimed that Suryakumar Yadav's presence in the Mumbai Indians' (MI) batting order makes them a force to be reckoned with. The ex-wicketkeeper hailed the right-hander's ability to anchor the innings while not compromising on the scoring rate.
Karim's remarks came during a live session on Khelneeti's YouTube channel on Wednesday (September 25).
He pointed out that MI relies heavily on Suryakumar Yadav, as he is the type of batter who can up the ante when needed by hitting boundaries and also rotate the strike effectively depending on the situation.
According to the 53-year-old, Yadav will be high on confidence after being a part of the national side as well. He also opined that the franchise will be keen on retaining the dynamic batter for the coming seasons.
"Mumbai Indians are lucky to have someone like Suryakumar Yadav who can come in to bat at number 3 or 4 and can anchor the innings, while also hitting boundary shots when needed," Karim said.
"Mumbai rely heavily on Suryakumar Yadav's batting. His name will also come up for sure when the franchise looks for the players to retain for their upcoming seasons."
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"Ishan Kishan is not needed at the top of the order for MI" - Saba Karim
On being asked if MI could look to use Ishan Kishan as an opener, Karim highlighted that the five-time IPL winners already have a settled top-order with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock and Suryakumar Yadav doing well.
Moreover, he suggested that Kishan could be used as a floater by the franchise. As per Karim, the southpaw will have a similar role to play when he dons the national jersey.
"Ishan Kishan is not needed at the top of the order for MI. The team uses him well at number 4. I don't think they will want to make any such changes. They have a settled batting unit and also have a lot of depth in their batting order.
"Ishan Kishan is a type of a player who can be used as a floater. He will have a similar role with the Indian team as well," Karim said.