You have to give players like Suryakumar Yadav cushion of extra games ahead of World Cup: Rohit Sharma

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has a lot of questions to answer, with one being who will bat at number four at the World Cup 2023? While the regulars, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, are nursing respective injuries but are expected to get fit for the marquee event, Rohit feels having equally good backups will benefit the Indian Team, and none better than Suryakumar Yadav as things stand.

World number one T20I batter Suryakumar recently hit a match-winning 83 off 44 against West Indies in the third game. After getting out cheaply in the previous outings on the tour, SKY – as most fans call him, came good with the bat, displaying utmost skill to help India win the first game in the five-match T20I series.

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Reflecting on his (SKY) innings and what he brings to the table, Rohit said knowing the challenges in the 50-over format are different than that in T20Is, Surya is working on his game and remains in the mix for the potential World Cup call-up. 

Although he averages a mere 24.33 in 26 ODIs played, Rohit feels Surya’s ability as a batter cannot be questioned. The veteran batter added the team management is also keen on sticking with Surya in the white-ball format.

"There is no question about his ability in the T20 format. The challenges (in ODIs) are different. He is really working hard, and he is talking to a lot of guys who have played a lot of ODI cricket as to what attitude and mindset (to have). Surya is also in the mix. The team management backs him to come good in ODIs, but despite the chances, he is yet to adapt," Rohit Sharma said on the sidelines of a La Liga event in Mumbai.

After making headlines for his incredible outings for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, Surya broke into the Indian T20I side, and in no time made this world his own. With four centuries in this format (three playing for India, one for MI), Surya has emerged as a top batter in T20 cricket.

Rohit said it is important to give players like Suryakumar Yadav a cushion of extra games, only for them to come into the groove.

"He is the kind of player, you also have to give him that freedom to go and bat the way he does. You cannot tell him to face 100 balls and make 50 runs. It is important to give a batter like him the cushion of extra games so that he finds that groove, gets that confidence. The way he started IPL this year, in the first 4-5 games he did not have too many runs, but look what he did after that," Rohit added.

While Suryakumar will skip the three-match Ireland series, the right-handed batter is expected to get picked for Asia Cup 2023, which begins at the end of the month.