Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar has no doubt in his mind that Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav are good enough to be in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup 2021.
For their stellar performances in the domestic cricket and IPL, Ishan and Suryakumar recently received their maiden call-ups for the England T20I series and both of them justified their selections with fine half-centuries.
While Kishan smashed 32-ball 56 on his debut to script India’s 8-wicket victory in the second T20I, Suryakumar scored 57 off 31 balls in the fourth game to lead the foundation for hosts’ 8-run victory.
“There is no question how talented both the players are,” Tendulkar told Reuters in a telephone interview.
“It eventually boils down to selection and the selection committee. But I can say that having played in IPL against all the leading foreign players, they are ready to play (in the Twenty20 World Cup).”
As the Mumbai Indians mentor, Tendulkar has observed both of them from the close quarters and he is not surprised at all to see their performances against the top-ranked England team.
“They are very good players. I have spent a lot of time with Surya, he looked fantastic,” Sachin added.
“Before the last IPL season, when Ishan was practising in the nets, there were a number of things which one could see. He was trying to get his bat swing (right), and be mentally stable. From there on, how he has progressed is remarkable.”
According to Tendulkar, playing top-quality bowlers in the Indian Premier League has prepared the likes of Ishan and Suryakumar for the tough challenge at the highest level.
“What IPL has done is it has given exposure to players to play against the leading players in the world,” Tendulkar said.
“Even before you’ve played for the country, you have the chance to play against them. During our time, it was for the first time … Now with so may leagues across the globe, it’s never the first time.”
(Inputs from Reuters)
