New role for Surya: India to try Suryakumar Yadav at No. 6 in ODIs to maximise hitting talent | Cricket News

Suryakumar Yadav, who averages just 6 at No. 4, has now been handed a new role at No. 6 the Indian team management, The Indian Express has learnt. With the vital No.4 position a bugbear for India in the last ODI world cup, India had hoped that Suryakumar Yadav would own the spot, but since that hasn’t happened, they have changed tack. They hope at No.6 position, Suryakumar can play his attacking T20 style and will be at his best when fewer overs are at his disposal. He averages 18.25 at No.6 at a strike rate of 107.35 from 4 games.
The team management made him bat at number four in first ODI (19 runs) while in second ODI he batted down at number six (24 runs). It is understood the new selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar, coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma had a long discussion in the Caribbean and they all felt they should use Yadav’s style of play in death overs.
The team management believes that there are few players in world cricket who can play all around the park as Suryakumar can against pace and spin.
There are pockets in the field that only he can even dare to exploit. With those flexible wrs of his, he can manufacture shots that can disrupt the bowlers’ rhythm. He is a proven match-winner in T20 cricket and doesn’t hesitate to put the pressure on the bowling side from the word go. But this approach isn’t working for him in the ODIs. With Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul injured, Suryakumar got a long run in the ODIs, but he has 23.80 at strike rate of 100.42 from 25 games.
However, the team management is now looking for a specific role for Suryakumar going ahead, hoping the talented batsman will click. An in-form Suryakumar can change the course of the game and all of his match-winning knocks have come in the shortest format. It is the reason why India desperately wants him to succeed in the ODIs as he can be the X-factor in the second power play that falls in the middle-overs. Having him lower down the order, the think tank believes, will strengthen the Indian batting line-up.
With the World Cup getting closer and match fitness of Rahul and Iyer is yet to be ascertained, Suryakumar now has a chance to cement his place in the 50 overs side. Despite not being able to convert his chances, Indian team coach Dravid has defended the 32-year-old batsman, saying he is still learning about ODI cricket.
“Unfortunately, I think he [Suryakumar] will be the first one to address that his ODI numbers probably not been upto his high standards that he has set in the T20, but he is also learning about ODI cricket,” Dravid told reporters after India’s six-wicket loss against West Indies in the second ODI. “I think Surya is a really good player. There is no doubt about it. His performances have shown that especially in T20 cricket and even in domestic cricket.”

Yadav not scoring runs isn’t the main worry, but there has been a pattern to his dismissals. Other than throwing away good starts, he has also struggled against deliveries nipping back in. He has also been guilty of going hard at deliveries. Or playing the cut to balls too close to the body. These shots come with an element of risk, especially in a format where there still exs some sort of balance between ball and bat. Dravid said Suryakumar is learning how to bat through the middle-overs.
He said, “He has played a lot of T20 cricket through the IPL and played a lot of competitive T20 cricket before he made his debut for India. In terms of one day cricket, he has probably not played that much competitive cricket. You know because there is no IPL in one-day cricket. I think he is also learning about his game, learning how to bat through those middle overs. He is a talent and we want to give him as many opportunities as he can. It is really upto him now to take those opportunities and use those but in the kind of set up we are, we like to give people as many chances as we possibly can,” he added.
A couple of months back former India player Dinesh Karthik had presented the idea that Suryakumar should play at No.6.
“I feel, Hardik enjoys batting up top so is there a possibility of sending him at No.4 and Surya at six. It is so because when you give him 15-18 overs, the way he is able to turn the game on its head is very very good. And irrespective of whether there are 5 or 4 fielders inside the circle he is able to hit boundaries at will and make a mockery out of the captain. When you give Surya lesser overs, 14-18 overs, he is at his venomous best,” Karthik had told Cricbuzz. “Suryakumar in ODIs is a non-negotiable. Where we need to be with Surya is to remind ourselves of the talent he is. What I like to see is can they fit in Surya at a different place to get the best out of him,” Karthik had said.
The team management in consultation with the selection committee had decided not to pick ODI players, who are in mix for Asia Cup and World Cup, for Ireland Tour, which will be now led Jasprit Bumrah. The team management wants a fit Indian team available for the World Cup at home.

The final ODI of the three-match series is on Tuesday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad. The teams are also scheduled to play five T20 matches, starting Friday.