After the whitewash of the Sri Lankan team in the recently concluded ODI series, Team India will host New Zealand in a three-match ODI series. Ahead of the opening game of the series against the Kiwis, former Indian selector MSK Prasad said that T20 superstar Suryakumar Yadav will play every match in the ODI series and he will do well in ODIs in the near future.
Suryakumar Yadav has surprised spectators and experts with his batting since making his T20 debut in 2021. The innovative batsman has been a run machine in the shortest format of the game, with runs coming in at a quick pace. He climbed up the ranks. 1 spot in the ICC rankings for T20I batsmen after an impressive T20 World Cup campaign in Australia, and he doesn’t look to vacate that spot anytime soon.
With three hundreds in just six months for the Indian team, Suryakumar has been a revelation in the shortest format of the game. However, he hasn’t been able to replicate the same in the 50-over format. But former India selector MSK Prasad feels it is only a matter of time before the veteran batsman “makes a mark” in ODI cricket for the Men in Blue.
During a recent interaction with Rediff.com, MSK Prasad said, “Suryakumar Yadav will not take long to make a mark in the 50-over format as well. Surya is an exceptional player. He is in the T20 team and the Test team. Which tells a lot about his adaptability. So if he finds a place in the T20 and Test team, he will surely do well in ODIs as well. All he has to do is bide his time. I would say It will not take long for him to cement his place in the Indian team.
The 32-year-old was named in India’s squad for the upcoming ODI series despite several batsmen fighting for the same spot. However, Shreyas Iyer’s latest injury has ruled him out of the upcoming series, leaving the doors open for the Mumbai-born cricketer to be included in the playing XI, though Iyer has been replaced by Rajat Patidar who is yet to make his debut. Have done for the national side.
