Suryakumar Yadav’s recent struggles with the bat have been downplayed by Mumbai Indians coach Mark Boucher, who calls Suryakumar the “top T20 player right now.” Boucher also seems sure that Suryakumar will recover.
In an interview with reporters in Mumbai on Wednesday with the team’s captain Rohit Sharma ahead of the start of the Indian Premier League, Boucher said, “Surya is fine. I had a chat. Can’t say a person isn’t in form if he can’t get past the first ball. He is probably the best player in T20s at the moment (IPL).
Suryakumar, who is often hailed for his versatility and has made an impact for both franchise and nation, particularly in T20 cricket, struggled mightily in the just finished ODI series against Australia. Three first-ball ducks in three consecutive games by Suryakumar prompted demands for his dismissal from the Indian team. The fact that the disaster occurred just before the IPL seems to worry Mumbai Indians as well.
Rohit Sharma, the captain of India and the Mumbai Indians, stubbornly stood by the troubled batter. He just used three balls, so I’m not sure how deeply you could investigate. I didn’t think it was a really good ball today. He just picked the incorrect shot. Maybe he ought to have stepped forward. The most expert he is. He is a master at spinning. For the last few of years, we have seen that. As a result, we wanted to hold him back and give him the opportunity to play in the last 15-20 overs, Rohit remarked after India’s 21-run defeat to Australia in the ODI series finale.
Rohit said, “It’s extremely terrible that he was only able to play three balls throughout the series, but it can happen to anybody.
India’s ICC World Cup 2011 star Yuvraj Singh also offered support to Suryakumar. Every sportsperson has ups and downs during their career. Everyone has gone through it at some time. I think @surya 14kumar is an important player for India and, if given the chance, would contribute significantly to the #WorldCup. During the third ODI of the series against Australia in Chennai, Yuvraj tweeted, “Let’s support our players for our Surya will rise again.
The former Indian spinner Nikhil Chopra also supported Suryakumar, saying that he batted with a match-mindset winner’s and should be kept up with. “What he (Suryakumar) has shown in the last year, scoring more than 1000 runs in T20s with a strike rate of over 180, I hope he makes it to the World Cup squad. When SKY starts to get runs, sky is the limit because when he performs, he will win you
Rohit has indicated his desire to sit out a few games in order to keep himself fresh and fit for India’s marquee events this year, including the ICC World Test Championship Final and the ICC World Cup, according to an Indian Express report, so Suryakumar will take the captain’s hat. Suryakumar will be a key player for the Mumbai Indians as the team looks to recover from a last-place finish last year and win their sixth championship.
Suryakumar has a stellar IPL record, scoring 2,644 runs at a strike rate of 136.78 in 123 games.