Indian cricketer Suryakumar Yadav had a great run in the shortest format over the last year as he became the no.1 T20I-ranked batter in the world and was also established as the most important player for Team India in T20Is. However, he couldn’t replicate his fantastic form in ODIs.
The right-handed batter played in all three ODI matches against New Zealand. He got the chance to play in the series due to the absence of Shreyas Iyer, who is suffering from a back injury. However, the 32-year-old batter didn’t get to bat in the second ODI match. Suryakumar scored 31 and 14 runs in the first and third matches, respectively. Former selector Saba Karim talked about the same and said that he needs to discuss with skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid to gain more clarity about his batting in the ODI format.
“This is not the first time. Previously, when he got the opportunity to play in ODIs, he didn’t score as per expectations. I still think he is an invaluable player. Some players need some time to adjust. He should discuss this with Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid to gain more clarity,” Saba Karim said to India News.
Suryakumar Yadav became T20I player of the year
Suryakumar was named the T20I men’s cricketer of the year for 2022. He became the first Indian cricketer to do so. He had an impressive year in the shortest format and scored 1164 runs in the 31 T20Is he played at an average of 46.56 with an explosive strike rate of 187.43.
The year 2022 was entirely in the name of Suryakumar, during which he hit 68 sixes. This was the most number of sixes hit by any player in the T20 format in a calendar year. Suryakumar single-handedly overturned the entire game for Team India in several matches where the team was lagging behind.
The apex cricket body also announced the T20 Team of the Year, which included three players from India. Suryakumar, Virat Kohli, and Hardik Pandya were part of this team. The Indian team is currently the number-1 one team in the world rankings. After defeating New Zealand 3-0 in the ODI series on Tuesday, January 24, India gained the top-most ranking in the ODI format.