Suryakumar Yadav or Ishan Kishan - Who should replace Hardik Pandya for India's 2023 World Cup clash vs New Zealand?
Team India have been dealt a severe blow with the injury to ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya ahead of their marquee clash against the only other undefeated side of the 2023 World Cup, New Zeland, at Dharamshala on Sunday, October 22.
Pandya suffered an injury to his left ankle while trying to stop the ball on follow-through in his first over of Men in Blue's recent win over Bangladesh. This ruled him out of the New Zealand clash.
Despite not getting much of a run with the bat due to the top-order dominance, the 30-year-old has been in impressive bowling form, with five wickets in four games in the ongoing World Cup.
While his all-around prowess is irreplaceable, the Men in Blue are in safe hands with respect to batting resources as Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan are in the squad.
Although Hardik is expected to be fit for the England clash in a week, Team India have a crucial decision to make between Surya and Kishan for the New Zealand game.
The Kiwis have been arguably the form team of the tournament apart from India and have given the hosts some of their most painful memories in ICC events in recent times.
They defeated the Men in Blue in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup, and all but eliminated them from the 2021 T20 World Cup. New Zealand also defeated India in the 2021 World Test Championship (WTC) final.
With that in mind, let us break down the different factors that could decide who between Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan gets in the playing XI for Hardik Pandya against New Zealand.
#1 Better fit
Both Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan are more than able to fill in for Pandya in their specific ways.
Following a dismal beginning to his ODI career, Surya found his groove as a finisher for Team India in the recent Australia series. The 33-year-old scored a pivotal 49-ball 50 at No. 6 in a stiff run chase in the first ODI and followed up with a 72* off 37 deliveries in a contrasting situation in the next game, with India batting first. His destructive strokeplay took the side to a massive 399/5 and eventually a series win.
Considering the replacement is for a similar role, Surya should be the ideal choice with his ability to decimate the opposition.
However, the counterpoint to that is Ishan Kishan can break the dominant right-handedness of the Indian batting lineup. Although the southpaw has never batted at No. 6 in ODIs, he can be used as a floater, keeping in mind New Zealand's left-arm spin duo of Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra.
Santner is the leading wicket-taker in the World Cup thus far, with 11 scalps in four games at a miserly economy rate of 4.40 runs per over. Kishan's presence in the Indian middle-order could help navigate the middle overs against New Zealand's spinners.
#2 Performances against New Zealand - Suryakumar Yadav pips Ishan Kishan
A look at the duo's performances against New Zealand paints a much clearer picture in favor of Suryakumar Yadav. While both batters do not boast impressive numbers in ODIs, the right-hander has dominated the Kiwis in the T20 format.
Surya has scored 284 runs in eight games at an excellent average of 47.33 and a strike rate of 153.31, with a century and a half-century. This includes a sublime 111* off 51 balls in New Zealand late last year and a well-made 47 off 34 deliveries in Ranchi earlier this year.
Meanwhile, the left-handed Kishan has struggled massively in T20Is against New Zealand, with a paltry 14.71 average and a less-than-run-a-ball strike rate in seven games.
Familiarity breeds contempt, and Surya's recent white-ball form against the Black Caps could be a vital factor to consider as India harp on deciding between the Mumbai Indians duo.
#3 Recent form - Very little to choose between the two
Both batters have shown glimpses of their best recently in ODIs, with Ishan Kishan scoring a brisk run-a-ball 47 against Afghanistan in India's second game of the World Cup and Suryakumar Yadav totaling 130 runs in the three games against Australia before the World Cup.
The left-hander also saved India from the blushes with a magnificent 82 off 82 deliveries at No. 5 against Pakistan in their Asia Cup opener.
While Kishan averages more overall in ODIs this year at 35.07 compared to Surya's 23.58, most of the former's runs came as an opener. Surya was also used at different positions in the middle order but was consistently used at No. 6 from the West Indies series earlier this year.
In conclusion, it looks like a coin flip between the duo, with perhaps better performances against New Zealand over the past year tilting selection slightly in favor of Suryakumar Yadav.