Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said that Suryakumar Yadav needs to work on his defensive game to get out of the rut in the ODI format, in which the batter has struggled a lot.
Suryakumar, the top-ranked T20I batter, has participated in 26 ODIs but has managed an average of only 24.33 with a strike rate of 101.38. His recent ODI performances include scores of 19, 24, and 35 against the West Indies.
However, his most poor outing had come against Australia earlier this year, when he became the first batter in bilateral ODI series to get out for three consecutive first-ball ducks.
Manjrekar urged Suryakumar to concentrate on refining his defensive skills, particularly when the team is facing a situation of being two or three wickets down in a match.
“Suryakumar is a very honest cricketer. A couple of things, firstly his return to ODIs where he got out thrice on the first delivery he faced against Australia. If the same scenario comes up in the future where two or three wickets are down and Suryakumar has to bat, then he should focus on his defensive tactics because sometimes in the 50-overs format, defensive tactics and preparation probably are handier for a batsman," Manjrekar told Star Sports.
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He added that Suryakumar also should focus on polishing his hitting shots along the ground.
“And as we witnessed, Virat Kohli is highly focused and practicing taking singles during the camp session. This 50-overs format is a less exciting format of cricket for me because 60-70 percent of runs come by singles, doubles, and triples. It’s not a game of fours and sixes, where players need to focus and practice around it, and Suryakumar Yadav can manage it,” Manjrekar said.
“The other thing that Suryakumar possesses is in IPL or T20 cricket format he scores runs at a strike rate of 200. His number of fours is always higher than sixes. He is somebody who likes to hit the ground. He likes to hit grounded shots and boundaries -- fours and sixes but not just focusing on hitting sixes. Sky has the potential. It’s a matter of confidence and belief that he belongs here,” he added.
India will open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 2, before playing Nepal on September 4. Both of India’s Group A matches will be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
(IANS inputs)
