T20 World Cup 2021: 'It's great news for India that they got runs but do any of these two play?'- Shaun Pollock on Ishan Kishan & Suryakumar Yadav
Shaun Pollock has lauded stylish batter Suryakumar Yadav for the manner in which the 31-year-old batted against the SunRisers Hyderabad last night. Yadav scored a 40-ball 82 against in the final league game of IPL 2021.
Speaking at CricBuzz Live, Pollock termed Surya's knock as a perfect example of how one should manipulate the gaps in the field to get the desired result.
He said:
"The way he went about it was very calculated. It was a great understanding of how you can manipulate the ball, get the ball into certain areas to pick up boundaries. You don't have to overdo it. It wasn't bludgeoning"
Surya was demoted down the order in the last league game of the IPL. Mumbai promoted their power-hitters Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard to cash in on the start provided by opener Ishan Kishan.
However, Yadav once again showed his worth as a versatile T20 batter. He spearheaded the batting unit after a mini-collapse to take the former champions to a match-winning total of 235.
'He is better suited to the first six overs'- Shaun Pollock on Ishan Kishan
Surya cashed in on the start that Mumbai got thanks to a breathtaking knock by Kishan at the top of the order. The left-hander, who was promoted to the top of the order in the game against RR, picked off from where he'd left to smoke a scarcely believable 32-ball 84.
Pollock reckons that Mumbai got it right by promoting Kishan to the top of the order as he feels it's the best possible position for the young swashbuckler.
"They also got the job of Ishan Kishan right. I think he is better suited to the first six overs where he goes at the ball, if he makes a mistake it still clears the field and he can go on in his merry way," said Pollock.
Surya and Ishan scoring runs at the backend of the IPL is good news for Indian fans given the fact that the T20 World Cup is only a few weeks away. But Pollock wondered if either of the two batters will get a look-in in the starting XI.
"It's great news for India that they got runs but do any of these two play? Where do they play?" asked Pollock.
Surya is a certainty in the playing XI but it remains to be seen whether he bats at 3 or 4. His position will depend on whether Virat Kohli opens the innings or slides down to No.3.
Ishan, on the other hand, was picked as a backup to Pant. But he could come into contention at the top of the order if India aims to go with a left-right combination. However, the probability of that happening at the start of the tournament remains low.
India will play a couple of warm-up games against England and Australia before the main-event. Team management will look to try out different combinations in those games.