The Indian team management in consultation with new chief selector Ajit Agarkar has devised a new role to accommodate Suryakumar Yadav in the One Day International (ODI) format. The Men in Blue will be playing Suryakumar at the No. 6 spot in the 50-overs format going ahead.
Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul have been sidelined due to injury for a considerable time now. In the meanwhile, the think-tank banked on the Mumbai Indians (MI) star to master over the No. 4 slot ahead of the ODI World Cup. However, the 32-year-old has visibly struggled to carry on his form from the shortest format of the game into ODI cricket.
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He averages 23.80 with two half-centuries to his name in 23 ODI innings. His strike rate is 100.42 and the batsman even endured a horrific bilateral series against Australia earlier this year when he was dismissed for a hat-trick of golden ducks in three matches. He has aggregated only 30 runs from five innings at No. 4 but the team management now believes that his skills can be best put into use at the No. 6 spot
, Indian Express reports.
Skipper Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul Dravid and Agarkar held long talks regarding this issue recently and they concluded that the batsman’s wide repertoire of shots can be best optimised in the four-down position. He possesses incredible abilities to take on spinners and pacers at will and hence those traits can be utilised to perfection whilst finishing off the innings. As per the plan, he walked out to bat at the same spot in the second game against West Indies in Barbados on Saturday.
In all likelihood, Suryakumar won’t find a place in the XI if both Iyer and Rahul return by the time of the Asia Cup or even the World Cup. However, the management appears keen to lock him into a spot in case his services are to be availed even as a backup during the course of the World Cup.
