Suryakumar Yadav is going to be a crucial cog of the Indian side during the upcoming T20 World Cup – next month in Australia. The right-hander who is arguably India’s best T20 batter currently, recently spoke of his preferred position to bat.
India’s best 360-degree batsman, Suryakumar Yadav, who made his T20I debut last year at the age of 30, has been in sensational form since: in 26 T20I knocks for India, SKY has smashed 811 runs at an average of 36 and a strike rate of 173; this combination of average and strike rate is merely jaw-dropping for a middle-order batter, who has often batted in the second half of the innings when risky shots are demanded.
With Yadav being such a rich vein of form, there have been calls for him to bat at the top of the order, especially given KL Rahul’s conservative approach, fans and some experts feel that Suryakumar will bring in energy and more aggressiveness as an opener.
Should Suryakumar Yadav open for India in T20Is?
And there’s good merit underlining these assertions: Suryakumar opened in 4 T20I vs West Indies, scoring 135 runs at a strike rate of 168 – something which is very much the role for a T20 opener.
In an interview with Times of India, Suryakumar was asked about his favoured position in T20 cricket. He said that though he’s liked batting in all positions, he felt he is best at number 4, from where he could attack in the middle-overs.
“I have loved batting in every position: 1, 3, 4, 5. I feel that No.4 is a good position for me. The situation that I go into bat allows me to control the game. I have enjoyed myself most when I bat between overs seven and 15. I try to be positive in that phase,” he told Times of India.
“I have seen a lot of games where teams have a great powerplay and a strong finish, but I feel the most important period in a T20 game is from the eighth over to the 14th over. You need to press on the pedal harder in that phase. I try not to play too many risky shots,” he added.
Suryakumar recently played one of the finest T20I innings by an Indian batsmen ever – when he clattered 68* off 26 balls vs Hong Kong in the Asia Cup, walloping 6 fours and 6 sixes all around the ground, showing his range of putting the ball in any area of the field.
“I try to play over cover and try to cut through point, run hard and keep the scoreboard ticking so that after the 15th over the finishers don’t have issues finishing the game. No.4 is also a challenging position to bat which is why I enjoy it,” he concluded.
Before the T20 World Cup, India host Australia and South Africa for limited-overs matches.
