Suryakumar Yadav scored a decisive fifty in the opening ODI against Australia on September 22, reigniting discussions on his role in the Indian team for the upcoming ODI World Cup. The Mumbai-born batter's knock, which came after a 590-day dry spell in ODI cricket, has caught the attention of cricket legends and fans alike.
Yadav's 51-run inning was well-timed, coming just two weeks before India kicks off its World Cup campaign. Previously, he had been struggling in ODIs, averaging around 12 despite consistently performing in T20 cricket.
The decision to give him a continued run in the team this year was a bold move, propelled by an injury to Shreyas Iyer. India's head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma had stood firmly behind Yadav, encouraging his transition from a T20 specialist to an ODI player.
While his fifty was crucial in India's chase of 276 runs against Australia, securing the win with eight balls to spare, it has ignited debate over his placement in the World Cup lineup. Cricketing legend Gautam Gambhir commented on the situation.
He mentioned that if Yadav is considered a first-choice player for the mega event, he should ideally bat at the No. 7 position. However, Gambhir warned that such a move would be risky, necessitating Ravindra Jadeja to bat at No. 5, thus piling more pressure on the top four batsmen.
“When you go for a World Cup, you generally have a fixed playing XI. You don't chop or change. Remember the 2011 World Cup, we hardly made any changes. Yusuf Pathan played 5-6 matches at the start and then it was Suresh Raina," Gambhir told Star Sports.