IND vs WI: Aakash Chopra Criticises Team Management For Lack Of Clarity In Suryakumar Yadav’s Batting Position
Published - 31 Jul 2023, 03:30 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:16 AM
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra questioned the team management over experimenting with Suryakumar Yadav’s batting position in ODI cricket. Aakash Chopra highlighted that Suryakumar Yadav has been given different batting positions in India’s batting lineup in recent ODI matches.
Suryakumar Yadav failed to translate his form from the short format into the 50-over format. The right-handed batter was promoted to the No. 3 position in the first ODI against the West Indies. However, Surya was demoted to the No. 6 position in the batting line-up during the second ODI match.
What Is His Role In The Side? – Aakash Chopra
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra raised concerns about the inconsistency in Suryakumar Yadav‘s batting position in ODI cricket.
“Surya Kumar is batting sometimes at No 3, sometimes at No 6, what is his role in the side? Is he a finisher or a proper middle-order batter? What is the thinking process behind this? I’m trying to understand. I’m sure the Indian team knows, they are not obliged to tell me or you.”
Suryakumar Yadav has failed to cross the fifty-run mark in his last 17 ODI innings. Despite having an average of 23.80 in 23 appearances, he is still under consideration for India’s World Cup squad.
What Are They Trying To Do? – Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra questioned India’s preparation and plan in the ongoing series, suggesting that the team management should have mentioned earlier if it was meant for experimentation to avoid confusion.
“The topic of discussion at this point of time is the preparation of the Indian team. We all are trying to decipher what the team is trying to do, what is their plan exactly? What are they trying to do?”
“The questions are being asked because if this series was viewed as an avenue for experimentation then it should have been made clear before itself. Everybody would have been on the same page then. The selectors would have then rested Virat and Rohit, and they would have directly played the Asia Cup.”
India experimented with their batting order in the ongoing ODI series, promoting Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav in the lineup during the first ODI. Sanju Samson and Axar Patel replaced senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the second ODI.
