Even though he is quite successful in the shortest format of the game, India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav hasn’t cracked either the longest or the 50-over format. It’s been more than a year since he was featured in his only test match, which took place in February in Nagpur against touring Australia.
He started his leadership duties in a great fashion, with a 3-0 whitewash over Sri Lanka in the recent T20I series. Suryakumar Yadav kept on batting with aggression for the whole length of the three games, as he finished as the highest run-getter for his side, with 92 runs in three innings at an average of 30.66 and a strike rate of nearly 200, with a best of 58-run knock.
The goal for any player is to be part of the team in all three formats, and Sky is not a different campaigner. The 33-year-old with his new move has displayed his desire to make a return for India in the red-ball games.
Suryakumar Yadav to play in Buchi Babu Invitational tournament
He wasn’t included in the largely young Mumbai squad for their pre-season Buchi Babu Invitational tournament in Tamil Nadu. Still, Suryakumar Yadav later informed the Mumbai selectors of his availability for the second half of the first-class competition, which is going to run till the end of August.
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The Mumbai-born in his lone Test so far could bat for only 20 balls, where he managed to score eight runs, shouldering on a boundary off his blade. Despite India winning the game, he was dropped for the next Test in Delhi.
The first-class record for Suryakumar Yadav is quite good, even after being renowned as someone who can play innovative shots around the park, which is quite useful in the shortest game format. The veteran has managed 5628 runs in 137 innings for Mumbai, at an average of nearly 44 and a strike rate of around 65.
He has also notched up 14 centuries and 29 half-centuries in the format, besides enjoying a best score of 200. On those days, when the team will be under pressure on the back of losing a few early and quick wickets, his aggressive temperament will be vital, especially on those tracks where batting could be a nightmare.
The T20I captain requested the selectors not to change the leadership and carry on with Sarfaraz Khan, who has slowly but steadily made his name in the Test format for India after the previous series against England. Suryakumar Yadav will likely feature in Mumbai’s fixture against Jammu and Kashmir in Salem starting on August 27.
“I want to play for India in all three formats. Playing in Buchi Babu will give me good practice for the red-ball tournaments this season.” He was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
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When Ajit Agarkar was asked why the batter wasn’t picked for the three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka, the chief selector stated that Sky wasn’t in their ODI plans for the present. In 35 innings of this white-ball format, he has collected 773 runs at an average of 25.76 and a strike rate of 105.02, celebrating four half-centuries.
India’s next T20I series will be against Bangladesh in October, and that will provide Suryakumar Yadav a decent time to plan his comeback in the Test format. The Buchi Babu tournament will be followed by the season-opening Duleep Trophy in Anantapur, where the selectors will be given the job of picking four teams.
