Team India’s T20I star batter Suryakumar Yadav performed remarkably well in the third and decisive T20I match against the West Indies. He smashed ruthlessly 83 runs off just 44 balls in every possible direction.
Pursuing a target of 160 runs for victory, the Indian cricket team displayed their prowess by achieving a score of 164/3 at Providence Stadium. Suryakumar Yadav’s explosive performance earned him the well-deserved Player of the Match award.
Following the game, during the post-match presentation, Suryakumar Yadav was candidly questioned about his ODI performance. He openly acknowledged that his numbers in the 50-over format have not been particularly impressive, and he bears no hesitation in recognizing this fact.
It’s worth noting that Suryakumar Yadav’s journey into the ODI and T20I arena unfolded in just a few months in 2023. While he has firmly established his prowess in the T20I format, he acknowledges that his impact in the ODI format is yet to be fully realized.
In the realm of T20Is, his numbers shine. With a remarkable tally of 780 runs in 51 matches and 49 innings, he boasts an impressive average of 45.64 and a striking strike rate of 174.33. His record also includes three centuries and 14 fifties, culminating in him being bestowed with the prestigious ICC T20I Player of the Year award in 2022. Notably, he also holds the distinction of currently being the world’s top-ranked batter in this format.
Conversely, his performance in ODIs presents a different narrative. In 26 matches and 24 innings, he has accumulated 511 runs, maintaining an average of 24.33 and securing two half-centuries.
Talking about his poor and inconsistent form in ODIs, Suryakumar Yadav mentioned:
“To be very honest, my one-day numbers are absolutely bad and there’s no shame in admitting that,”
He added: “We all talk about honesty and you have to be, but how you can improve is more important. Rohit (Sharma) and Rahul (Dravid) sir have told me that this is the format that I do not play much so you have to play it more and think about it. If you are batting in the last 10-15 overs, think about what you can do for the team. It is in my hand now how to change the responsibility into an opportunity,”
“We have been playing T20 format so much that I have gotten used to it. One-day is a format that I do not play much and I find it as the most challenging format. You have to bat differently – if a wicket falls early, you have to bat a little like in Test cricket, then in between you try to accelerate ball by ball and towards the end, you have to bring in the T20 approach. So I have been trying to apply what the team management has told me so far about the format. I try to take some time in ODIs as per the time and then play my game towards the end. I will try to repay the faith,
Talking about missing out on a potential hundred, Suryakumar Yadav said that he does not care much about milestones. He said:
“This was the same day as these last two years. I went out and expressed myself. Everything kept falling in place with the way I batted,”
He also talked about Tilak Varma‘s batting in the series, He talked about Tilak’s sensational way of playing and praised the 20-year-old youngster.
“Tilak for his age, is showing amazing maturity. The way he batted is great. We have batted a lot of times for Mumbai Indians together. He has done the same there. All credit goes to him, he is a star. He is clear in his mind, he knows his game. He is very mentally strong, which is important for the Indian team.” SKY concluded.
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