Suryakumar Yadav, T20 World Cup 2026 winning captain, talked about his failure for India in ODI cricket and regretted not putting in enough effort in the format. He acknowledged that his ODI career remains a source of disappointment.
Suryakumar Yadav played 37 ODIs and scored 773 runs with four fifties and an average of 25.76. His last appearance in the format came in the final of the ICC World Cup 2023 against Australia in Ahmedabad.
Suryakumar Yadav took accountability for not doing enough in ODIs to adjust to the format's requirements rather than blaming selection calls or other factors.
“Hypothetically, we can say anything—that if I had come into the team in 2016, I could have played Tests and probably done well in ODIs too. But the reality is that I played only one Test and one innings. After that, the other players came back and started playing again, so it didn’t happen. But definitely, I am disappointed with myself when it comes to ODI cricket.
It was a white-ball format, just like T20s, but to be very honest, I personally feel I did not put in as much effort as I should have for that format," Suryakumar Yadav said on Aakash Chopra's YouTube channel.
Suryakumar feels that ODI cricket requires batters to take a much more calculated approach, even though T20 cricket has allowed him to flourish with his aggressive strokeplay. He said that the 50-over format is the hardest for a batter because things may change quickly, especially for those who come in at No. 4, 5, or 6.
"I feel ODI cricket is probably the most difficult format to play as a batter, whether you are batting lower down the order or anywhere else. You can be two down for zero if you are batting at No. 4 or four down for 24 if you are batting at No. 6. Anything can happen. You have to bat almost as you do in a Test match.
You see off the bowlers initially, give them respect, and slowly build your innings. You may bat at a strike rate of 50 or sometimes 75, then take it to 100 and eventually finish at 130 or 140, much like you do in T20 cricket," he added.
Suryakumar thought that the task was more than just batting in a different format. He struggled to understand how to build an innings in ODI cricket, particularly in the middle order.
Suryakumar disclosed that although he was aware that he would probably play middle order, he did not prepare for ODI cricket to the same extent as he does for T20 cricket.
“Personally, I feel I could not crack how to approach that format. I knew I was probably going to bat at No. 5 or 6, but even then, I did not work hard enough to understand the format. By the time I could blink, those 20-25 games had gone. I don’t even know when it happened or how it went by.
And yes, I definitely regret not playing more ODI cricket. I wonder why I could not do better in that format. But no one is to blame. I take the blame myself because I did not put in the extra effort that I put in now when I play T20 cricket. If I bat for an hour, I will practice for an hour and a half," Suryakumar added.
In comparison, Suryakumar Yadav made 3,272 runs in 113 T20Is with 4 centuries and 25 fifties, with a strike rate of 162.94, an average of 36.35 and a highest score of 117. He also played one Test and made 8 runs in one innings.
