India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav made a strong return to form with an unbeaten 39 off just 24 balls in the opening T20I against Australia in Canberra on Wednesday. His innings, however, was cut short by rain, which eventually forced the match to be called off.
Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa, speaking about Yadav’s batting position, praised his selflessness but maintained that the dynamic batter should not be pushed down the order. According to Uthappa, Suryakumar’s impact is at its best when he bats no lower than the No. 4 position.
“It’s like you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place because it’s a decision where you need to assess your performances and manage your captaincy as well. So it’s a very difficult decision to make. However, I feel he should bat in one fixed position. In my opinion, there is no better position than No. 3 for Suryakumar in T20 cricket,” Uthappa said on Star Sports.
“If the top three get set, you can bring flexibility after that. You can bring in left-right combinations. In the Asia Cup, they probably decided that Tilak Varma would come at No. 3 if a left-hander got out, and Surya would come in if a right-hander got out. That’s still alright, but Suryakumar Yadav shouldn’t bat below No. 4. A top-order batter has to make a lot of adjustments if he has to bat below No. 4.”
At No. 3, Yadav has scored 820 runs at a strike rate of 159.22 in 29 Twenty20 International innings, while at No. 4, he has scored 1,614 runs at a strike rate of 167.25. In T20Is, he has batted below No. 4 only six times. scoring a total of 140 runs.
“Suryakumar Yadav being in form is very important for India. If he wants to win the World Cup and play for a long time-since he is playing only one format-his form and rhythm are very important. When you’re such an important player, your form matters not just for the team but for yourself as well,” Uthappa added.
“It felt good that he came in at No. 3 today and is batting exceptionally well. If you give him room, he dominates the bowler-and that’s what happened after the first rain break. I don’t think he’s out of form. I believe it’s always a matter of time because this player has so much class.”
India will face Australia in the second T20I at Melbourne on Friday.
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