Suryakumar Yadav vs Sanju Samson - who should India pick in their playing 11 for ODI series vs West Indies?
With the Test series done and dusted, Team India now move on to the three-match ODI series against the West Indies with an eye on the ODI World Cup later this year. The Men in Blue have suffered quite a few injury blows of late and while some of their key players come back, this ODI series could be crucial for some on the fringes of the first XI.
Two such names for whom this series is important are Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson. With the likes of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul out with injuries, there is a possibility that both Yadav and Samson find a place in the playing XI for the first ODI.
However, India also have the option of Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad to try in the middle order if they want to. This could mean that once the full-strength team is back, only one among Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav might get the nod in the middle-order.
Assuming that the duo have just one spot to play for, let's have a look at how they stack up against each other ahead of India's ODI series against the West Indies:
#1 Balance and familiarity
Sanju Samson has played in the middle order in the recent past as well when KL Rahul was out injured and it is safe to say that he has done incredibly well. In 11 matches, Samson scored 330 runs with a sensational average of 66 and has a couple of half-centuries to his name against South Africa and West Indies.
Suryakumar Yadav, on the other hand, has played 23 ODIs for India but has scored just 433 runs at a modest average of 24.05. He failed to score a single run against Australia as he was dismissed on a golden duck on all three occasions. He will know that the West Indies series could be a crucial one for him if he wants to give one last push for the World Cup.
#2 X-Factor
Suryakumar Yadav seems to be a clear winner in this regard, given how well he has performed for India in the shortest format against different quality oppositions. He has shown that he has the ability to hit sixes from ball one and literally toy with the fields, leaving the bowlers scratching their heads before making their next move.
Sanju Samson has shown that he has the consistency to his ODI game and can be molded for that finisher's role if needed. His highest score of 86* came against the Proteas where he almost pulled off a win from the jaws of defeat. The team could be tempted to give Suryakumar a go if they are looking to have that 'X-factor' in their middle order.
#3 Recent form
From the depths of despair in the ODI series against Australia, Suryakumar Yadav came back to his best in the IPL 2023 season. He had his most prolific IPL, scoring 605 runs at a stunning average of 43.21 at an astonishing strike rate of 181.14 with five half-centuries and a century to his name. He once again saw a dip in his form in the Duleep Trophy but did score a half-century for West Zone.
Samson's IPL, on the other hand, was a series of missed opportunities as while he was able to score 362 runs, it consisted of a number of promising starts that he couldn't quite possibly convert into big scores. The once again puts India in a tricky situation as to who to pick among the duo.
Who would you pick if you had an opportunity to decide? Let us know in the comments section.